18 food safety cases placed under special supervision

China's top police, procuratorial and judicial authorities have placed 18 major criminal cases involving food safety violations under special supervision, including cases involving formaldehyde-treated cabbage, health supplements falsely marketed as imported products and sulfur-fumigated bamboo shoots.

The Ministry of Public Security, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Supreme People's Court recently designated the cases for closer oversight to ensure that food safety offenses are investigated and prosecuted strictly in accordance with the law, the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China Central Committee said on Thursday.

An official from the commission said law enforcement and judicial authorities would maintain a tough stance on food safety violations, stepping up enforcement to tackle persistent problems and safeguard public health.

The cabbage case came to light in August, when authorities in Kangbao county, Hebei province, confirmed that traders had illegally dipped cabbages in formaldehyde solution to prolong their freshness during transportation. Local authorities launched an investigation and began tracing the affected produce along the supply chain.

The health supplement case involved products manufactured in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, but falsely advertised as being made in Australia. According to prosecutors in Yinzhou district, Ningbo, Zhejiang province, the operators had registered a company and trademark in Australia and routed domestically produced goods through Hong Kong before reimporting them to the mainland.

In the bamboo shoot case, market regulators in Qingyuan, Guangdong province, said in September that an initial investigation had confirmed the illegal use of sulfur to fumigate bamboo shoots. Authorities sealed the raw materials and finished products involved, traced their distribution and expanded inspections covering procurement, processing and sales across the city.

The special oversight follows guidelines issued by the commission last month targeting food safety violations in areas including meat products, school food, health supplements, vegetables and fruit. The guidelines call for stronger coordination between administrative regulators and criminal justice authorities, including clearer procedures for transferring cases and sharing evidence.

At a meeting on Wednesday, authorities were urged to investigate violations throughout food supply chains, improve channels for public reporting and update the list of substances illegally added to food.