In an attempt to give control over food safety to a single agency, it was concluded that the Ministry of Health (MOH) will continue to formulate food safety policies, which the SFDA, an agency under this Ministry, will administer. The MOH will be authorized to coordinate food safety management, organize investigations into serious food safety incidents and define punishment. The MOH is also responsible for enacting national food safety standards, pharmaceutical codes and a national basic pharmaceutical system. The SFDA will assume responsibility for issuing food sanitation permits and monitoring food businesses and restaurants. At the same time, it will continue to be in charge of overseeing the safety of pharmaceuticals, including drug research, production, circulation and use, much as it has been doing since the SFDA was formed in 1998.
ChinaBioToday, March 12, 2013