Chinese firms rise to face food safety scandals

Luohe (CNS) -- The food industry and its future were the topics of discussions at a hi-end forum convened on Wednesday specifically to address China's challenges. Market insiders, scholars and company leaders attended the event.

China has approved the use of more than 2,000 food addictives, which have contributed greatly to the development of the food industry, said VP Xiong Bilin of the China National Food Industry Association.

A small part of the public have been misled by recent scandals that finger addictives as harmful, Xiong added, but the real dangers to the public are posed by irregular or illegal practices used by certain companies.

Because there are now more than 10 supervisory departments with responsibilities in its food industrial chain, China courts the sort of confusion that puts public safety at risk, is how Yao Jingyuan, a researcher with the Counsellors' Office of the State Council, explains apparent deficits in the control and inspection systems.

Leaders from the Shineway Group , speaking from experience with huge losses following the contaminated pork scandal, as well as the U.S. Mars Corporation, underscored the importance of a responsible and scientific supply chain management system.