Apr. 24 – Following the draft of a new food safety law, foreign food importers will need to register with the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) every four years to ensure the safety of their products.

The new law is set to take effect on June 1. A draft implementation rule of the law can be found on the State Council Legislative Affairs Office website.

According to the AQSIQ, for now only foreign meat products manufacturers will need to register, without requiring renewals. Currently, foreign food importers must submit documents from a minimum of five categories to get registered. This includes evaluation reports from their home countries and information on the production process.

Moreover, importers of foreign food products must also procure a safety certificate from China’s Ministry of Health before the products can enter China.

The stricter food law comes after the melamine scandal that led to the death of six babies and sickened 300,000 children. Beijing has revised legislature in efforts to provide safe food. Registration will be revoked for companies found selling products causing major food safety incidents and containing fake materials.