VoluntaryReport-PublicdistributionDate:3/11/2009GAINReportNumber:CH9019CH9017China,PeoplesRepublicofFAIRSSubjectReportFoodSafetyLawofthePeople'sRepublicofChina2009Approvedby:WilliamWestmanAgBeijingPreparedby:MarkPetryandWuBugangReportHighlights:OnFebruary28,China’sNationalPeople’sCongress(NPC)StandingCommitteepassedthefirstcomprehensiveFoodSafetyLaw(FSL)afterfiveyearsofdrafting.TheFSLwillgointoeffectonJune1,2009.ThisreportisanUNOFFICIALtranslationofthislaw.IncludesPSDChanges:NoIncludesTradeMatrix:NoAnnualReportBeijing[CH1][CH]USDAForeignAgriculturalServiceGAINReportGlobalAgricultureInformationNetworkTemplateVersion2.09GAINReport-CH9019Page2of21UNCLASSIFIEDUSDAForeignAgriculturalServiceExecutiveSummary:OnFebruary28,China’sNationalPeople’sCongress(NPC)StandingCommitteepassedthefirstcomprehensiveFoodSafetyLaw(FSL)afterfiveyearsofdrafting;thefirstdraftwasreadinDecember2007.TheFSLwillgointoeffectonJune1,2009.Forthefirsttime,theChineseGovernmentusesWesternterminologyincallingforfoodsafetyregulation“fromtheproductionlinetothediningtable.”Keyorganizationalprovisionscreateastate-levelFoodSafetyCommissiontooverseefood-safetymonitoring.ThisCommissionwillbecomposedofmembersfromtheMinistryofHealth(MOH),MinistryofAgriculture(MOA),GeneralAdministrationforQualitySupervision,InspectionandQuarantine(AQSIQ),StateFoodandDrugAdministration(SFDA)andtheStateAdministrationforIndustryandCommerce(SAIC).Otherkeyprovisionsdealwithsupervision,monitoring,enforcement,recall,traceback,licensing,registration,anddevelopmentofstandardsandregulations.AcompleteanalysisofthislawisprovidedinGAINReportCH9018.ThisreportisanUNOFFICIALtranslationofthislaw.BEGINTRANSLATIONFoodSafetyLawofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaTheFoodSafetyLawofthePeople’sRepublicofChinahasbeenadoptedatthe7thSessionofthe11thStandingCommitteeoftheNationalPeople’sCongressofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaonFebruary28,2009,isnowissued,andshallbeeffectiveasofJune1,2009.PresidentofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaHuJintaoFebruary28,2009FoodSafetyLawofthePeople’sRepublicofChina(adoptedatthe7thSessionofthe11thStandingCommitteeoftheNationalPeople’sCongressofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaonFebruary28,2009)TableofContentChapter1.GeneralProvisionsChapter2.SurveillanceandAssessmentofFoodSafetyRisksChapter3.FoodSafetyStandardsChapter4.FoodProductionandTradeChapter5.InspectionandTestingofFoodChapter6.FoodImportandExportChapter7.ResponsetoFoodSafetyIncidentsChapter8.SupervisionandAdministrationChapter9.LegalLiabilitiesChapter10.SupplementaryProvisionsGAINReport-CH9019Page3of21UNCLASSIFIEDUSDAForeignAgriculturalServiceFoodSafetyLawofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaChapter1:GeneralProvisionsArticle1ThisLawisformulatedtoassurefoodsafetyandsafeguardpeople'shealthandlife.Article2ThefollowingbusinessactivitiescarriedoutwithintheterritoryofthePeople'sRepublicofChinashallabidebythislaw:1)Foodproductionandprocessing(hereinafterreferredtoas“FoodProduction”);fooddistributionandcateringservice(hereinafterreferredtoas“FoodTrading”);2)Productionandtradingoffoodadditives;3)Productionandtradingofpackingmaterials,vessels,detergentsanddisinfectantsforfood,aswellasutensilsandequipmentusedinfoodproductionandtrading(hereafterreferredtoas“Food-RelatedProducts”);4)Foodadditivesandfood-relatedproductsusedbyfoodproducersandtraders;5)Safetymanagementoffood,foodadditivesandfood-relatedproducts.Thequalityandsafetymanagementofprimaryagriculturalproductsforconsumption(hereinafterreferredtoas“EdibleAgriculturalProducts”)shallabidebytheLawofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaonQualityandSafetyofAgriculturalProducts.However,thisLawmustbeobservedwhendevelopingqualityandsafetystandardsandreleasingfoodsafetyinformationonedibleagriculturalproducts.Article3Foodproducersandtradersshallstrictlyfollowrelevantlaws,regulationsandfoodsafetystandardsintheirbusinessactivities,beresponsibleforthepublic,ensurethefoodsafety,receivethesupervisionofthepublic,andbearthesocialresponsibility.Article4TheStateCouncilshallestablishaFoodSafetyCommitteewhoseresponsibilitieswillbedeterminedbytheStateCouncil.TheexecutivedepartmentofhealthundertheStateCouncilisresponsiblefortheoverallfoodsafetycoordination,riskassessmentoffoodsafety,formulationoffoodsafetystandards,releaseoffoodsafetyinformation,developmentofaccreditationcriteriaforfoodtestingagenciesandtestingspecifications,andtheorganizationofinvestigationofandresponsetomajorfoodsafetyaccidents.Theregulatorydepartmentsforqualitysupervision,industryandcommerceadministration,andfoodanddrugadministrationundertheStateCouncilshallregulatefoodproduction,fooddistribution,andcateringservice,respectively,inaccordancewiththislawandtheresponsibilitiesidentifiedbytheStateCouncil.Article5Localpeople'sgovernmentsatandabovethecountylevelshalltakeintegratedresponsibility,leadership,organization,andcoordinationrolesinregulatingfoodsafetywithintheirjurisdictionandshallestablishandhoneamechanismontheregulationoffoodsafetyduringthewholefoodchain;taketheintegratedleadershipandguidanceroleindealingwithfoodsafetyemergencies;developandenforceafoodsafetyaccount