Food Safety scandal, which is the most common controversy in China today, has sparked apprehension in every citizen's food preference.

To satisfy the government's repeated pleas in the change of regulation in the food industry, a committee in the State Council was created to alleviate a solution to this problem.

Like Us on Facebook

Though the Chinese government reassures the people that more than 99 percent of its goods achieved safety and quality, this sparked a  speculation of the discrepancy between local and foreign markets, according to Slate.

This evident gap of quality between the two markets caused public discontent in the country, as stated by Zhi Shuping, government head of General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine at the Boao Forum of Asia last March.

The main concern for food safety problems in China can be attributed to the food supply system and the distinctiveness of the agriculture industry as a whole.

Each stage of the production of food, starting from the farmers, processors, wholesalers and retailers, all require the supervision of a food quality regulator. Any problem encountered in each stage leads to a compromise in safety and quality.

Farmers, considered as one part of the spectrum of an industrial chain, are the least compensated. An agricultural management based on a household-based contract system equates to a limited output of each household.

The goal of an effective supervision and management of a small farming system will not be fully achieved because of the vast number of households scattered on a 6,000 square meters of land. Should a food safety issue arise, it is taxing to pinpoint who is to blame and quite unrealistic to institute punishment for all the farmers as well.

The bigger companies that involve processors, wholesalers and retailers, are protected by the government. This stems from the fact that these companies alleviate problems of unemployment and maintain social stability at the same time. Any incident relating to food safety can be covered, thus protecting the image of public officials.

There is also tight competition among farmers and major food companies.

Food, made at a substandard quality, can be sold at a cheaper price. In response, the big companies would also do the same to avoid loss of profit.

China follows a system of certifying foods, following criteria divided by three categories: pollution-free, green, and organic. But this system is deemed unreliable because earning a certification can be falsified nowadays.

If the local food market is considered flawed, then how come the exported products are certified as good quality?

Most companies follow a specific set of long-term objectives. Foods intended for export are priced higher than local products, thus leading to more profit. A company who defies these standards will risk smearing its reputation in the industry.

The possible solution to solve the issues of food safety in the Chinese local market is to increase the standards required for entry level businessmen. Another proposed solution is the encouragement of small business and big companies as a synergistic approach to achieve higher food quality.

The farmers' performance and outcome of their labor can be monitored through a creation of associations. This move can raise their profits and create an awareness of how to improve food production.

Lastly, a public platform should be instilled by the government, so food safety reports can't be forged and can't be covered as well.

These measures may seem ideal but it also requires increased operating costs for both small time and big time food producers. This, in return, results to a price increase, compromising budget of the food consumers.

Tagsmeasures, safer food, food safety scandal in china, Is Chinese food clean?, Chinese food process, Chinese food regulation, How clean is Chinese food?