China consults on tighter infant formula rules

BEIJING - China on Tuesday published a draft regulation on infant formula production to seek public opinions, which will raise standards in the sector in an all-round way, said the State Food and Drug Administration.

The regulation was drafted by experts and food and drug supervisors and took the requirements for pharmaceutical producers as reference. It requires infant formula producers to implement the management systems of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point and Good Manufacturing Practice.

It requires the producers to have a milk source built or controlled by themselves as well as research and development capability.

The draft regulation also raise the requirements of management, especially in the purchase of raw and supplementary materials, and the requirements of production conditions, such as the cleanliness of production environment.

Organizations and individuals can make comments and suggestions via post, email and fax before August 15 this year.

The draft is aimed at improving the quality of domestic-brand infant formulas, the reputation of which was seriously undermined by the tainted milk scandal in 2008.

Unscrupulous Chinese milk producers, especially the Sanlu Group, were found to have mixed melamine with their dairy products in order to cheat protein content tests. The practice caused the deaths of at least six Chinese babies and left another 300,000 ill.