China warns of danger in food safety amid economy slowdown

The declining economy may tempt struggling food and drug producers in China to cut corners and ignore quality standards, said a senior official.

China is on high alert as the impact of the financial crisis began to hit home, said Shao Mingli, a senior official from China's food and drug safety watchdog.

Some companies may violate production standards and regulations in order to ease their financial burdens, said Shao, adding that production and quality management could also be affected by conflicts and disputes arising from some companies' regrouping or merger and acquisition.

Shao called for tighter supervision on the food supply chain of all levels.

Last year, the watchdog handled 297,500 cases of ''illegal drugs and medical equipment'' with a value of about RMB600 million (US$88 million), said Xinhua news agency.

China in recent years has been affected by a number of food safety scandals, which prompted worldwide recalls of Chinese-made products.