China fights food rumors

China has issued a notice stipulating that people who spread rumors about food should be severely punished, according to the China Food and Drug Administration.

The notice, released by ten departments including the Food Safety Office of the State Council, said that involved enterprises should take the initiative.

If a rumor targets a specific enterprise, food safety supervision departments should seek clarification from that enterprise.

If many enterprises are involved in the rumor or it doesn’t point to a specific company, food safety supervision departments need to organize inspections and evaluations to stop the rumor spreading.

News media, websites, microblogs and WeChat are also required by the notice to take up their responsibilities, strengthen management over food safety information and strive to build a sound social environment that reflects public opinion.

Microblogs and WeChat should crack down on accounts that publish food rumors and forbid the circulation of illegal comments related to food.

The notice also emphasizes that no unauthorized organization or individual may release reports or safety warnings about general national conditions regarding food safety. It’s also forbidden to release or forward test reports issued by any inspection body without statutory qualifications.