Hundreds held in China safety sweep

Authorities say more than 750 arrested in crackdown on dangerous products.

china safety food production
Alerts over fake or toxic products have dented confidence at home and abroad [GALLO/GETTY]

The operation focused on fake or substandard food, medicine and agricultural products.

 

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The move is part of a sustained effort by China to repair the reputation of its products tarnished by a series of scandals at home and abroad.

 

“All local authorities and relevant departments have maintained a high-pressure attitude toward their crackdown on the illegal activity of producing and selling fake products,” the agency said on its website.

 

“One after another, authorities have broken large-scale cases, investigated and taken care of them, shut down a large number of illegal hubs of activity, effectively striking and intimidating criminals,” it said without providing further details.

 

Scrutiny

 

China‘s exports have come under intense international scrutiny recently after a number of potentially deadly chemicals were found in goods like toothpaste, toys and seafood.

 

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Scares over safety have dented confidence in
products from toothpaste to toys [Reuters]

Tainted Chinese products have been blamed for deaths as far afield as Panama, and for killing hundreds of pet cats and dogs in the US.

 

In a related development, state media reported on Monday that China would raise quality standards for drug licensing following a string of deaths and injuries from fake or poorly tested medicines.

 

The new standards come into effect on January 1 and will allow no “severe defects” in the drug manufacturing process, the official Xinhua news agency said.

 

Current rules let a producer obtain a license if three such defects are found but corrected, the agency said.

 

The report said submission of false information by pharmaceutical companies was considered a “severe defect” but gave no other examples.

 

In July the former head of China‘s food and drugs safety watchdog was executed after it was found he took bribes to license a drug that was blamed for causing several deaths.

Source: News Agencies