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The capital's food safety watchdog is offering large rewards to informants who expose hazards and scandals, it was announced on Thursday.

Callers whose tips help police and other officials catch rule-breakers now stand to receive 50,000 to 300,000 yuan ($8,000 to $47,000).

The move is aimed at further involving the public in the supervision of standards, according to the Beijing Food Safety Administration.

"In the face of recent scandals, we need to improve supervision in the city, and public supervision plays a crucial role," said Feng Yuan, an official at the watchdog.

"We raised the reward amount in an attempt to encourage more efforts in eliminating food safety issues," he said.

The system of deciding which whistleblowers will receive the reward has also been simplified and should take no more than seven days after a case is reported.

"The reward is pretty tempting," said Yang Lina, who works for China Construction Bank. "It's good that they have increased the amount, as it's sometimes dangerous to expose problems at a restaurant or workshop."

Food safety has become a major concern in recent years, especially regarding "gutter oil", illegally recycled cooking oil that is scooped up from sewage drains, as well as claims that steamed bun shops illegally add essence to meat stuffing to boost flavor.

The reward system was established after a crackdown of illegal factories and workshops initiated by the Beijing Public Security Bureau on Aug 22.

Questions:

1. What is the highest amount offered as a reward?

2. Who says the move is aimed at further involving the public?

3. When did Beijing Public Security Bureau launch its crackdown?

Answers:

1. 300,000 yuan.

2. Beijing Food Safety Administration.

3. Aug 22.

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.