China Sets Food and Drug Safety Priorities for 2020

In China’s recently issued 13th Five-Year Plan on National Food Safety and 13th Five-Year Plan on National Drug Safety, the emphasis is on moving control checkpoints forward and focusing on regulation at source.

In the plan on food safety, it is proposed that source control of edible agricultural produce is implemented with the aim of achieving an overall passing rate of 97% or above for quality and safety monitoring of major agricultural produce. Also mentioned are raising the level of agricultural standardisation and supporting the certification of good agriculture practice and the development of branded agricultural produce.

The plan on drug safety calls for enhancing at source the safety and efficacy of drugs across the board and tightening evaluation and approval requirements of new drug application (NDA). In approving new drugs for marketing, the ability to solve clinical problems and having marked efficacy would be top considerations. Improved new drugs, on the other hand, are expected to demonstrate improvement advantages. Safety responsibilities are required to be strictly assigned for the production, marketing, use, testing, regulation and other aspects of food and drugs.

The plan for food safety proposes that issuing of permits for engaging in food production business should be strictly regulated; responsibilities in food safety at the local level, in particular at the county government level, must be strictly assigned; supervision of key links in cold chain storage and distribution should be strengthened; projects to upgrade food quality and safety in the catering industry must be carried out; projects in assuring safety in imported food must be implemented. Both safety plans call for a comprehensive strengthening of inspection and testing processes. In particular, the food safety plan proposes that businesses engaged in food production should be inspected at least once a year; sample testing for food safety should cover all food categories and varieties; annual sampling inspection plans at the municipal and county levels are required to cover all vegetables, fruits, livestock and poultry meat, fresh eggs and aquatic products produced and sold locally; supervised sample testing of imported food is required to cover all product types.

See State Council website for details of the Plans in Chinese.

Related report: State Council Issues 13th Five-Year Plans for Food and Drug Safety