BABY FORMULA

One of the most notorious cases in recent years was the finding of melamine in infant formula produced by Sanlu Group, a leading dairy firm in north China, in 2008. Six babies were killed and thousands fell ill.

The bill includes a specific provision on infant formula powder. Producers will now have to test every batch of their product, conduct regular internal inspections and submit reports to regulators.

National outcry surrounding this incident brought about the first Food Safety Law in 2009 but public confidence in domestic baby formula has never been fully restored.

Such is China's demand for baby formula that several countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Germany, have introduced quotas on milk powder exports to China. Stricter legislation and tighter scrutiny are expected to help restore the reputation of the industry.

Dairy firms are also asked to register the formula of their baby milk powder and source of ingredients with provincial regulatory agencies. They are forbidden from outsourcing production.

ONLINE SHOPPING

The bill, as the first revision attempt in five years, responds to booming online shopping.

Online consumer-to-consumer platforms like Taobao, Ebay's parallel in China, have become an important way for people to buy food. At Taobao, more than 97,000 vendors list food in the description of their business. According to the website's ranking, the most successful shop has struck 4.54 million deals.

Many food producers are even expanding their business to include marketing on instant messaging services like WeChat.

The draft amendment clarifies the liabilities of these online platforms. They are required to register the real identity of vendors and check their certificates. They will have to compensate consumers if they can not provide the identity, address and contact details of retailers on their platform.

They should also report malpractice to the government and deny access to misbehaving retailers.