Health, market bodies work to promote special foods

The State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Health Commission have established a joint mechanism to promote the development of the country's special foods industry, which encompasses products including health foods, infant formula and foods for special medical purposes.

The quality of the development of the special foods industry directly affects public well-being and the aspirations of consumers for a better life, the administration said in a notice issued on Friday, noting that this industry currently has a high pass rate in random safety checks.

Under the new mechanism, the two departments will work in a coordinated manner with supportive measures in such aspects as improving registration efficiency, fostering innovation, and protecting consumers' rights and interests. The goal is to provide a wider range of special food products to better meet the rising demands of the public, the administration said.

Guidelines aim to stamp out nation's rising obesity

China's National Health Commission has released its first set of guidelines aimed at standardizing the diagnosis and treatment of obesity.

In recent years, China has witnessed an upward trend in the morbidity rate of its overweight and obese population, according to the guidelines issued by the commission on Thursday.

As an independent disease and a major causative factor for multiple chronic diseases, obesity has become a major public health issue in China, ranking as the sixth leading risk factor for death and disability in the country, the guidelines said.

The guidelines provide detailed guidance and regulations in the areas of clinical nutrition, medication therapy, surgical treatment, behavioral and psychological intervention, and exercise intervention for obesity, ensuring the safety and quality of medical care, said Zhang Zhongtao, director of the committee responsible for the drafting of the guidelines and deputy head of Beijing Friendship Hospital.

Campaign clamps down on illegal vehicle recycling

Chinese authorities have started a three-month campaign to combat illegal recycling and dismantling of scrapped vehicles, in the wake of consumers being encouraged to trade in their old vehicles for new ones.

This campaign will target violations such as unlicensed scrapped vehicle recycling and dismantling, trading or assembly of scrapped vehicles, forging or altering recycling certificates, and illegal disposal of waste, especially waste that exceeds emission standards, a recent notice said.

According to the notice issued on Oct 16, the Ministry of Commerce and six central departments will be involved in the campaign through information sharing and joint law enforcement, so as to ensure the healthy and orderly recycling of scrapped vehicles.

Report releases country's findings of mineral deposits

A total of 124 mineral deposits were discovered in China in 2023, according to a report released by the Ministry of Natural Resources on Oct 16.

The report focuses on the latest progress in geological and mineral surveying and evaluation, mineral resource exploration and development and the ecological restoration of mines.

Of the 124 newly discovered mineral deposits, 16 are limestone deposits for construction and 10 are graphite deposits, making them among the most abundant.

The country also made breakthroughs in canvassing oil- and gas-abundant basins, including the Tarim and Junggar basins in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Bohai Bay.

Regarding other types of minerals, China also made significant progress in canvassing coal, copper, gold, lithium and phosphorus reserves, the report said.

As of the end of last year, a total of 173 kinds of minerals had been discovered in China.