China releases new food import draft law

A new draft rule released Thursday (Apr 23) stated that foreign food producers who want to sell their products to China might have to register with the country's inspection and quarantine authorities every four years.

The food safety law, to take effect on June 1, requires all foreign food exporters to register with the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) to ensure their products are safe.

The registration will be valid for four years but will be revoked if products cause any major food safety incidents or if companies are found offering fake materials, according to the draft rule.

Currently, only foreign meat product manufacturers need to register without requiring renewals, according to AQSIQ rules and regulations.

Under current rules, foreign food exporters must offer at least five categories of documents to get registered, including evaluation reports from their local governments and detailed information on the production process.

The draft law also said importers of foreign food products have to get a safety certificate from China's Ministry of Health before the products could enter China.