China is planning to equip at least half of the country's county-level administrative areas to monitor various contaminants and harmful ingredients in food by the end of 2013.

A new work plan, released by the Ministry of Health, focuses this year's food safety efforts on grains, vegetables, meat, dairy, baby food products and illegal additives.

China has reported a series of heavy metal pollution incidents over the past few years.

Under the plan, the ministry will hone a mechanism to monitor and report food-borne diseases while regulating epidemiologic research on food safety incidents.