A peddler selling breakfast in Xicheng district in Beijing is ordered to close by the health department on Aug 3 due to safety problems. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

BEIJING - The capital's food safety watchdog is offering large rewards to informants who expose hazards and scandals, it was announced on Thursday.

Callers whose tips help police and other officials catch rule-breakers now stand to receive 50,000 to 300,000 yuan ($8,000 to $47,000).

The move is aimed at further involving the public in the supervision of standards, according to the Beijing Food Safety Administration.

"In the face of recent scandals, we need to improve supervision in the city, and public supervision plays a crucial role," said Feng Yuan, an official at the watchdog.

"We raised the reward amount in an attempt to encourage more efforts in eliminating food safety issues," he said.

The system of deciding which whistleblowers will receive the reward has also been simplified and should take no more than seven days after a case is reported.

"The reward is pretty tempting," said Yang Lina, who works for China Construction Bank. "It's good that they have increased the amount, as it's sometimes dangerous to expose problems at a restaurant or workshop."

Food safety has become a major concern in recent years, especially regarding "gutter oil", illegally recycled cooking oil that is scooped up from sewage drains, as well as claims that steamed bun shops illegally add essence to meat stuffing to boost flavor.

The reward system was established after a crackdown of illegal factories and workshops initiated by the Beijing Public Security Bureau on Aug 22.

China Daily

(China Daily 09/23/2011 page4)