The State Council has approved an assessment system for provincial and municipal governments on their performance of food safety management, as an effort to improve food safety and ensure people’s health, according to a circular issued on Aug 29.

The Food Safety Commission of the State Council will lead the assessment. Provincial and municipal governments’ performance in implementing food safety protection measures and the local food safety situation will be assessed, based on the performance of each calendar year.

According to the circular, the Office of the Food Safety Commission, along with related departments, will set up a work group to go to provincial regions to make annual on-site assessments, and generate reports before November each year.

Provincial and municipal governments should produce comprehensive summaries and provide self-assessment reports on food safety management in their jurisdiction. Then member departments of the Food Safety Commission will carry out evaluations of those reports.

After that, the Food Safety Commission Office, sometimes taking into account a third-party institution’s assessment, will produce an evaluation report and submit it to the commission for final review.

The evaluation is classified into grades A, B and C. The top 10 provincial regions that receive grade A will receive praise from the commission. Institutions and personnel who make outstanding contributions to food safety will enjoy national awards, according to the circular.

For C-grade provincial regions, officials in charge of food safety will receive special interviews with the commission office and related departments. Meanwhile, related leading officials will have no chance to receive annual awards or honorary titles.

Frauds in assessment will be publicly criticized, and staff members involved in serious cases will be held accountable, the circular said.