No doubt about it, Beijing is worried about food safety. The contagious popular discontent over the authorities' competence in safeguarding the national food chain, if left unattended, will inevitably brew new troubles more difficult to cope with.

So official voices against irregularities in the food industry sound harsh. Vice-Premier Li Keqiang, who heads the State Council Committee for Food Safety, said there has to be maximum deterrence against violations, so that perpetrators will shudder at the thought of being caught.

And, as always, local levels have been quick to pick up the message. A number of places have reportedly incorporated food safety as a key factor in the appraisal of officials' performance. And special campaigns are being introduced to address the most hated phenomenon of food additives abuse.