By Cao Li (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-09-14 11:10

SHANGHAI: Restaurants that cater for banquets with five or more tables (50 people) will be subject to new food safety checks, an official from the local food and drug administration (FDA) said on Thursday.

Venues will be obliged to inform their local FDA of the number of people attending the event at least two days before it takes place. The FDA will then send staff to the restaurant to advise on food safety and conduct spot checks during the food preparation period.

"Most medium and large restaurants have the capability to host large-scale banquets, but there is always the possibility of them being careless," Chen Weisheng, an official with the Baoshan district bureau of Shanghai FDA was quoted as saying by the Shanghai Morning Post.

The reporting and examination system was introduced last year but was enforced only during major festivals and national holidays, Chen said.

Food poisoning cases are often reported after large-scale dining events, he said.

The system was introduced as a pilot scheme on July 1 in Shanghai's Baoshan district.

The announcement follows the recent launch of a citywide campaign to boost food safety in Shanghai.

Several local government departments have agreed to work together until the end of the year to tackle a range of general health and safety concerns and specific issues relating to agricultural products, food and drugs.

Officials have said that by the end of the year,

- all agricultural production bases and wholesale markets will be properly supervised;

- all unlicensed food manufacturers will be shut down;

- all operators of supermarkets, wet markets, canteens and restaurants will have to present their business licenses and product certificates when purchasing goods from manufacturers;

- all pigs will be slaughtered only in designated places;

- and manufacturers of products that could pose a threat to health or safety, such as electrical appliances, toys and car components, will have their quality records tracked.