Food safety body set to take shape

An overarching food safety commission will be set up to improve supervision, according to the latest draft of a food safety law submitted to the top legislature for review yesterday.

The commission will be a "high-level coordination and guidance" body, and details of its responsibilities and authority will be decided by the State Council, Liu Xirong, deputy director of the National People's Congress (NPC) Law Committee, said while explaining the change to legislators.

The head of the proposed commission could be of vice-premier level, said Chen Junshi, a senior researcher with the National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety affiliated to the Ministry of Health (MOH), indicating it will be a powerful body.