China targets food industry shortcuts

BEIJING - China will examine the country's food industry to root out dodgy practices that result in substandard products reaching customers, according to a Cabinet circular issued on Tuesday.

Featuring an agenda on the government's food safety work for 2013, the State Council circular called for an overhaul of food safety loopholes in the sectors of planting, breeding, slaughter, production, distribution, catering as well as import and export.

Among the inspectors' key tasks, there will be a particular focus on illegal additions of inedible substances into food and misuses of additives, the document says, adding that secret sites for food production will be eradicated.

The Cabinet also ordered greater efforts in checking for banned items being added to animal feed, agricultural chemicals, and veterinary drugs, as well as the use of agricultural chemicals and veterinary drugs beyond prescribed scopes.

China will furthermore improve inspection of licensed slaughter houses as well as related quarantine efforts, according to the circular.