"To solve the problem, China must go to the source of the problem - the farmers. There is not much restaurants can do about supply sources."
Bian Jiang, secretary general of the China Cuisine Association, says major safety issues have mainly occurred within the food industry, not within the restaurant industry, and most problems occur at the food processing stage.
He says restaurant-goers are now more sophisticated and informed.
"Last year when there was a problem with hotpots, nobody ate hotpots any more," he says. "The restaurant industry had to respond with stricter quality control on the ingredients they source. People should trust the government to do the right thing in this area."
For most restaurants, they will sidestep an ingredient if there is even a suspicion on its safety standards, even though it may raise costs.
China's food and hygiene administration has tightened control on additives and illegal preservatives with strict and frequent checks, according to Bian.
He says food safety is not as much a problem as escalating food costs in the last year. Other operation costs have also skyrocketed, including labor, rental and taxes.
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