Society

China to overhaul dairy supervision before festivals

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-12-25 07:58

BEIJING - China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) on Friday moved to overhaul the supervision over country's dairy products in a bid to ensure food safety before the major Chinese festivals.

Local food and drug administrations have been ordered to increase supervision over the trade and consumption of diary products and ensure that dairy products are not mixed with non-edible substances or food additives, read a notice posted on the SFDA's website.

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The SFDA asked restaurants to keep dairy product suppliers' contact information as well as valid documents which could help authorities identify the quality, specifications and expiration date of dairy products.

Year-end is always a peak season for the Chinese to dine out, either with families or colleagues. The Spring Festival, or the Chinese lunar new year and the most important festival for the Chinese, falls on Feb 3.

China's dairy industry was marred by a scandal in 2008, in which at least six infants died and almost 300,000 became ill across the country after consuming dairy products tainted with the industrial chemical melamine.

To restore consumer confidence, the Chinese government launched a nationwide safety overhaul of dairy products in Nov 2008.