The problem of melamine contamination in China’s dairy industry is “under control”, a senior government official said today (24 September).
“The market is now free of problems. As far as I know there’ll be no more bad news,” Xiang Yu Zhang, inspection chief at China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), told reporters.
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Speaking to just-food on the sidelines of a conference on food safety in Beijing, Xiang added: “Since the strong measures taken by the government, all dairy enterprises are now under strict supervision, from their raw materials to the processing and finished products that reach the market.”
Earlier, however, he had admitted that food safety is still a big issue for the Chinese government. He said China was prepared to work with international partners on improving its record.
Li Changjiang, head of AQSIQ, had been scheduled to chair one of the conference sessions but stepped down from his post earlier this week in response to the still-growing food safety scare.
Herman Koeter, special advisor to the European Food Safety Authority, pledged the body’s assistance to China in stepping up its supervision and enforcement in the future.
