“China’s top leadership has called for more efforts to ensure food safety,” a China-based news service reported last week, “noting there are still many problems despite an improving food safety situation.”
By most accounts, it appears the problematic-but-improving characterization of China’s current food-safety situation is an accurate one. A recent report found nearly half-a-million food-safety violations reported in the country through the third quarter of 2016. That’s evidence of serious problems, no doubt. But it’s also the product of stepped-up enforcement, which helps reveal (and, hopefully, mitigate) such problems.
In his recent remarks, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for stricter regulations and enforcement to help turn the tide against food-safety issues. One thing Xi didn’t stress, it appears, is ability of the food industry itself to improve the culture and climate of food safety. That’s an important omission. Baylen Linnekin explains more.