First FDA office unveiled in Beijing

Food safety procedures tightenedBy Zhu Zhe and Alexis Hooi (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-11-19 07:09 government unveiled on Tuesday major initiatives to ensure that imports, exports and domestic consumption of food conform to the highest standards.

To keep a stringent check on imports from the United States, China will send food and drug quality control officials to the country - following the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opening its offices in China, senior officials said.



FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach (L) and Shao Mingli (C), head of the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) unveil the FDA Beijing office while US Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt looks in Beijing, November 19, 2008. The FDA will open three offices in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai this week to help ensure export safety while China is also preparing to station offices in the US.