Source: Xinhua News Agency

11-22-2007 17:13

China and the Philippines on Sunday signed the minutes of meeting on import and export food safety in the southern China city of Nanning.

Under the document, signed between China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine ( AQSIQ) and the Philippine Department of Health during the first China-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine which opened here Sunday, both the Chinese and Philippine sides agreed to establish a food safety cooperation mechanism.

Through the operation of this mechanism, both sides will inform and consult each other about the quality and safety problems found in bilateral food trade in a timely and actively manner to solve the problems properly, establish for regulators and technical experts from both sides a channel for their communication, and exchange and reciprocal visits.

Both sides will also exchange timely the laws, regulations, standards, inspection procedures and methods of both sides concerning import food inspection and supervision, and their latest changes, and notify each other about information on imported and exported food to crack down on the illegal activities of food trade.

According to the document, the two sides reviewed the cooperation on food safety, especially the cooperation on dealing with the pupils uncomfortable issue in Cebu, the Philippines, as well as the latest progress. Both sides agreed to continue the cooperation to treat the issue justifiably and properly.

"The Chinese side informed the measures taken by the Chinese governments to ensure the food safety. The Philippines side appreciated for the introduction," the document says.

The minutes was signed after "a friendly discussion on issues of import and export food" between AQSIQ Deputy Director Wei Chuanzhong and Alexander Padilla, under secretary of Department of Health, and Director Leticia-Barbara Gutierrez of the Bureau of Food and Drugs of the Philippines in Nanning on Saturday.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on formaldehyde residue in food. The Chinese side hoped that the Philippine side would treat the issue scientifically, while the Philippine side said that they were carrying their evaluation and might adjust related policies to this effect.

(October 28, 2007)

 

Editor:Xiong Qu