The State Council on May 11 approved a plan to further tighten supervision on food safety, and deployed work of food safety in 2016.

The plan called for improving laws and regulations on food safety, including the Quality and Safety Law of Agricultural Products. Those who make fake products or add illegal additives will face heavier criminal sanctions.

It also prompted establishing catalogues for national and local standards for food safety, including 1,000 items of standards for pesticide residue and 300 for the agricultural industry.

The plan then urged regulating the origin of agricultural products by establishing a tracing system to root out illegal actions. Meanwhile, it called for tightened supervision on overseas sources of food and agricultural products. Construction and operation standards for cold chain logistics will be improved for food safety.

In addition, the plan called for beefing up risk prevention measures. Random inspections for residue of pesticide and veterinary drugs, additives and heavy metal pollutions left on food and agricultural products will be conducted. Responsibility for the supervision of the inspections will be made clear.

Moreover, the plan asked for tougher supervision on key products concerning infant and baby formula and food supplements, dairy and meat products.

It then called for reinforcing the sense of responsibility for food production and management, urging enterprises to establish management systems such as training and assessment, risk examination and emergency procedures.

The plan also requires enhancing food safety supervision, promoting specified port construction for importing food to inland areas and establishing big data platforms for food safety supervision of imported and exported food.

Local governments are urged to establish a mechanism to connect the exit of agricultural products from place of production to their market entry, and roll out measures to regulate street vendors, small-scale restaurants and small food producers.

The plan called for opening channels for tip-offs, and encouraging media outlets to set up columns on food safety, as well as reinforcing efforts to publicize knowledge on food safety via new media channels including WeChat, micro-blogging and mobile platforms.