China has long been a hotbed where food safety scandals run rampant. As of today--October 1, 2015--the country is revising its Food Safety Law for the first time in 6 years.
The new legislation--enforced by the China Food and Drug Administration--will mean stiffer civil and criminal punishments for those found to be in violation. Companies that violate the law will be restricted in terms of future loans, taxation, bidding and land use. Another new facet of the law is that rewards will be increased for those who blow the whistle on food safety violations within China’s borders. There will also be more supervision of food sold online. To raise public awareness, high profile food safety cases might be publicized on live TV.
China has experienced a number of food safety scandals over the years, ultimately losing the confidence of consumers both domestically and internationally. Just a few examples of past food safety scandals in China include:
It’s possible that China’s susceptibility to unsafe food is based on a combination of factors: