Revisions to food safety laws 'urgently' needed (2)

"The new China Food and Drug Administration is responsible for food safety supervision on a wider range of aspects, including the manufacture and sale of food, which makes food safety supervision easier," Li said.

Prior to the new administration, food safety supervision and management was handled by many different departments, which resulted in responsibilities being shifted or evaded, and that made law enforcement more difficult, according to Dong Jinshi, food safety expert and vice-president of the International Food Packaging Association.

After amendment, the law may give clearer definition of responsibilities to the departments, including Ministry of Agriculture and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, added Li.

China's media has been hit frequently in recent years with food safety scandals, many of which have aroused public outrage.

The melamine incident in 2008, in which poisonous melamine was added to milk to make it seem rich in protein during quality tests, left 300,000 babies sick and caused six deaths nationwide.

Recycled edible oil has also been a target of police actions, arousing suspicion of the use of gutter oil in many restaurants and drug manufacturers.