Clampdown on Abuse of Food Additives      

Nine government agencies including the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology jointly issued a notice on December 15th, 2008 deciding to kick-start a four-month nationwide food safety campaign focusing on clamping down on illegal use of non-edible raw materials and the abuse of food additives.
   The move is aimed at severely cracking down on such illegal behaviors and protecting the public health, as well as promoting the orderly development of the food and food additives trades.
   Processing companies, dealers of foods and food additives and catering businesses should conduct self-examination in areas such as whether non-edible materials have been used in foods, whether the food additives used meet national standards and whether the food additives are sourced from legal and licensed firms as well as whether it manufactures or sells non-edible materials being used in foods, according to the notice.
   Any company or individual found illegally manufacturing or selling food additives would be severely punished, the writ said.
   The campaign is aimed at cracking down on illegal use of non-edible materials in foods while regulating the food additives market, after the Sanlu infant dairy tainted scandal taught a lesson, the Ministry of Health officials said.