China to increase supervision over health food producers

BEIJING -- China will launch a campaign to check health food producers over food safety concerns, the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) said Wednesday on its website.

The SFDA said in the statement that the campaign, which will run from the end of May to the end of September, will check whether health foods meet the country's food safety criteria, especially those criteria on some heavy metals.

The statement said the major targets of the campaign include health foods meant to help consumers lose weight, lower their blood sugar levels, ease fatigue and improve sleep, among others, as these products are prone to include illegal chemical additives.

Health foods made from spirulina, bee propolis, pearl powder and fish oil, those sold in capsule form and products with exaggerated and fraudulent advertisements are also among the major targets.

The statement said health food producers found violating laws and regulations will be ordered to either rectify their improper actions and improve in a fixed time or lose their production licenses.

The SFDA urged local authorities to build and perfect an archival system to supervise health food producers, and it also urged health food producers to improve their quality control system.