A Review of The Changes in China’s Food Safety Supervision Policies

Hongying Chen

Department of Public Management, Administration, Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics, Urumqi, China

Keywords: Food Safety Governance, Policy Evolution, Institutional Environment.

Abstract: In recent years, food safety problems have received a lot of attention on a global scale, and governments have

regarded them as a key national strategic issue. This paper explores, how China’s food safety supervision

policies have evolved since 1949 showing how the country's food safety supervision policy changed from the

command-type food hygiene law enforcement system to the modernized governance mechanisms for food

safety in this new era. Despite recent advancements within the realm of food safety regulation in China, certain

issues still exist. It is suggested that government agencies should improve public awareness of monitoring,

boost public involvement, exert more pressure on all parties to be responsible, and improve publicity and

guidance. It not only helps to promote the development of a more rational and scientific food safety supervi-

sion system, but also facilitates the integration of China’s food safety supervision policy with its specific

national conditions.

1 INTRODUCTION

Food safety, which is directly tied to the living quality

of the public, the state of a country’s economic

development, and social stability, is the material

foundation for human survival and advancement

against the backdrop of economic globalization. Food

safety has become a focal point, drawing significant

attention from international bodies such as the Food

and Agriculture Organization of the United States

(FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Food safety has been a priority in China as well. The

public no longer solely seeks quantity satisfaction

when selecting food due to economic growth and

ongoing improvements in people's quality of life.

Rather, they have begun to emphasize the nutritional

content and quality of food. Since the 1980s, the rapid

development of the economic scale and the

quickening pace of urbanization have brought a

multitude of difficulties and challenges to food safety

in China, which makes the situation more

complicated. Problems such as biological and heavy

metal contaminations, food contains too much

pesticide and veterinary drug residues, the improper

use of additives, along with the rampant occurrences

of counterfeiting and selling of fake products, have

become prevalent. In addition, some local institutions

do not attach great importance to food safety, and

there are deficiencies in the implementation of

responsibilities, so the contradiction about safety and

development still remains notable (Xinhua News

Agency, 2019). These various food safety incidents

have posed serious threats to consumers' lives and

health. State-level attention is always crucial to food

safety regulations; the Chinese government's

decision-making arrangements must be fully and

thoroughly implemented. This means promoting

comprehensive governance, strengthening the

foundation of food safety and firmly establishing and

validating. By doing so, the public can consume food

with confidence (State Market Supervision and

Administration of China, 2024). This paper conducts

a retrieval and review of the literature concerning

food safety regulation policies, with the aim of

exploring the evolutionary progression of changes in

food safety supervision policies after the People’s

Republic of China was founded. Subsequently, an in-

depth analysis is carried out to elucidate the driving

forces underlying these policy changes and to assess

the influence exerted by China's institutional

environment on the transformation of food safety

supervision policies. Concurrently, a comprehensive

overview of the existing condition of food safety

supervision governance in China is presented, thereby

offering valuable insights and perspectives for the

further reform and optimization of the food safety

supervision regime in China.

282

Chen, H.

A Review of the Changes in China’s Food Safety Supervision Policies.

DOI: 10.5220/0013982700004912

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Innovative Education and Social Development (IESD 2025), pages 282-287

ISBN: 978-989-758-779-5

2 THE PROCESS OF THE

EVOLUTION OF THE FOOD

SAFETY SUPERVISION

MECHANISM

2.1 Analysis of Policy Content

In terms of the overall goal of the policy, it is

projected that China will make the national system

and capabilities for governing food safety more

modern. At the same time, food safety standards are

expected to ascend to the forefront of international

standards, and the environmental pollution in

production regions will be governed effectively. This

also implies that China's food safety risk control

capabilities will be integrated with the advanced tier

on a global scale. The overall state of food safety will

be fundamentally enhanced, allowing the people to

enjoy a healthier and more reassuring diet (Xinhua

News Agency, 2019).

From the target audience of the policy, the first

category is food producers and operators. For

example, food production enterprises, including those

engaged in various production activities such as

agricultural product processing, food processing and

manufacturing, and beverage production, as well as

catering service enterprises, such as restaurants,

hotels, fast-food restaurants, and snack bars. The

second category is consumers. As the final users of

food, consumers are important recipients of food

safety supervision. The implementation of food safety

supervision policies aims to defend the legal rights

and interests belonging to consumers, enabling them

to purchase safe and reliable food. The third category

includes employees in related industries, such as food

inspectors, food safety managers, and catering

employees. The last category is government

regulatory departments. The regulation of market

operations, health, and other governments agencies at

all levels are the main implementing and supervising

agencies of food safety supervision policies.

Looking at the policy regulation, China has

already established a food safety risk detection and

assessment system, which can find food safety risks

in a timely manner through the theoretical framework

of "risk analysis, risk management, and risk

communication" for food safety risk control and

provide a scientific basis for regulation (FAO&WHO,

2008). Relevant government departments have

stepped up the intensity of supervision and random

inspections of food products. Unqualified food is

dealt with in accordance with the law, and strict

sanctions are imposed on illegal activities in the realm

of food safety. These recent years, departments

responsible for agriculture, quality control, health,

and industry and commerce administration have

successively released their statistical data on the

random inspections of farm produce and incidents of

food poisoning. The figures indicate that over the past

decade, the quality standards of both edible

agricultural products and processed foods have been

progressively enhanced(Zhu,2013).Nowadays, China

has also set up credit records for food production and

operation enterprises and implemented joint punitive

measures against those that violate laws and

regulations. The government spurs the active

involvement of the public in food safety supervision

management, constructs platforms for public

participation, and drives the formation of a pattern of

social co-governance.

2.2 Policy Changes

Regarding the concept of policy change, the

American scholar James Anderson defined it

relatively early. In his view, policy change refers to

the replacement of existing policies by one or more

policies, specifically including the implementation

about newly-crafted policies or the emendation or

repeal of existing ones. He classified policy change

into the incremental alteration of existing policies, the

stipulation of new regulations within specific policy

areas, and significant policy shifts following the

reorganization of voters in elections (Anderson,

2009). The changes in food safety supervision

policies in China also adheres to this definition.

Specifically, during the planned economy period,

China implanted a mandatory food hygiene law

enforcement system. Since then, Chian’s food safety

supervisions policies have evolved (1949-1977),

through the transitional supervision system during the

period when the economic was transitioning(1978-

1992), to the mixed supervision system during the

transformation of the market-oriented economic

system (1993-2012), and finally to the modern food

safety governance system in the new era (since 2013).

The following will conduct a detailed analysis

centered on the four stages of the evolution of China's

food safety supervision policies.

2.2.1 The Mandatory Food Hygiene Law

Enforcement System During the

Planned Economy Period(1949-1977)

At the beginning of New China’s establishment, a

great deal of work was yet to be done During this

period, China began to establish a food hygiene law

A Review of the Changes in China’s Food Safety Supervision Policies

283

enforcement system supervised by the health

department. This system was jointly managed by the

health department and several other departments,

such as the Ministry of Light Industry, the Ministry

of Grain as well as the Ministry of farming. In the

whole period of the planned economy which lasted

fromn1949 to 1977, China basically adopted this

mandatory food hygiene management system, which

was mainly monitored by industry departments and

supplemented by the inspection work of the health

department, bearing a strong color of planning and

administrative directive. Government departments

usually managed the food production and

management of enterprises through ideological

education, quality competitions, mass movements, or

administrative sanctions. A typical policy text during

this period was the "Trial Regulations on Food

Hygiene Management" promulgated in 1965. This

was the highest-level food hygiene management

policy since the founding of New China. It clearly

stipulated that the health department should be

responsible for the supervision and technical

guidance of food hygiene, initially establishing a

"single department" supervision pattern led by the

health administrative department, and policy

monopoly began to emerge (Yan&Nie, 2009; Huang

& Zhao, 2020). This monopolistic state was gradually

strengthened under the effect of path dependence. As

some scholars have proposed, the initial institutional

settings would have a profound impact on subsequent

institutional changes. The main reason for the

occurrence of this phenomenon is the existence of

increasing returns and self-reinforcing mechanisms

(North, 1994; He, 2014). Therefore, there was no

essential change in the policy monopoly dominated

by the health department in the catering consumption

link.

2.2.2 Transitional Regulatory Regimes in

Till of Economic Transition

With the advancement of reform and opening up,

China's food-related industries have experienced

rapid development. However, this has also brought

about a series of risks and challenges. During this

process, the food hygiene in accordance with

directives law enforcement system in the planned

economy era proved to be inadequate. Between 1978

and 1992, during the economic transition , China

steadily started using a mixed supervision system. In

this setup, the health department was in charge.

Although the health department still played a

dominant role in food hygiene supervision, some

inspection Responsibilities originally undertaken by

the health department, it was allocated to other

Departments like industry, agricultural and export

inspection agencies. At this time, traditional

supervision means such as administrative directives

and education were still widely used, but something

like regulatory, market rewards and punishments also

began to be applied.

2.2.3 The Mixed-Type Regulatory System

During the Period of Market-Oriented

Economic System (1993-2012)

The rapid advancement of the food industry has led

to diversified production and operation methods,

which means the scope and complexity of regulation

has increased considerably. As the quantity of

regulatory targets grows and food types become more

diverse, new regulatory agencies have been added to

the food safety system. China's food safety regulatory

agencies witnessed three major transformations

between 1993 and 2012. The reform of 1998 served

as a crucial milestone, with the release of a highly

representative policy document, the "Reform Plan of

State Council Institutions", which defined the

responsibilities of departments such as industry,

commerce and quality inspection in food safety

supervision. Before this, the food safety supervision

mechanism in China was a multi-department

supervision led by the health department. After that,

it became a segmented multi-department supervision

system. During this stage, traditional administrative

intervention means such as administrative directives

were gradually reduced, while new regulatory tools

like technical standards and information disclosure

emerged continuously.

2.2.4 The Modernized Governance System

for Food Safety Risks in The New Era

(Since2013)

China has entered a new era of socialism. However,

the risks faced by food safety are becoming

increasingly serious. Problems such as environmental

pollution have caused the continuous emergence of

long-term accumulated contradictions, and new types

of risks brought about by new technologies and new

business forms have also begun to surface. Since the

launch of the food safety supervision system overhaul

in 2013, China has not only adhered to the vertical

reform but also initiated the exploration of horizontal

governance reform. During the advancement of the

market-oriented reform, it has simultaneously

harnessed the functions of market mechanisms, social

organizations, and public participation, thus

IESD 2025 - International Conference on Innovative Education and Social Development

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inaugurating a new panorama in food safety

governance. Food safety issues have been elevated to

a national strategy, forming a new realm of food

safety risk management with Chinese characteristics.

With the successful implementation of a new round

of institutional reforms in 2018, a modern food safety

governance system featuring social co-governance

and unified authority has gradually taken shape.

China has carried out the concept of social co-

governance, allowing modernized, market-oriented,

and information-based means of food security risk

management to be constantly innovated and widely

used, greatly enhancing the capacity of China in

managing food safety risks.

It is also important to focus on the changes in the

field of food safety supervision after the epidemic.

Firstly, the consumption pattern has changed.

Specifically, household purchases have become the

focus of consumption. Online consumption behavior

has been maintained, but higher requirements have

been put forward for the management of the safety of

food purchased online. Secondly, the epidemic has

brought new challenges to the supply chain of the

food sector and also includes the cold-chain logistics.

For example, issues such as disruptions in the food

supply chain, insufficient export production capacity,

and increased difficulties in epidemic prevention and

control for cold-chain logistics. These problems

require the collaboration of various departments and

the application of technology to address. Finally, it’s

worth noting that the overall situation of food safety

in China remains grim. The three major problems,

namely, excessive residues of agricultural and drugs

used for animals, microbial contamination, and

excessive use of food additives, are still the primary

issues confronting current food safety. After the

pandemic, China has adopted a more comprehensive

and scientific approach to food safety supervision. It

has gradually promoted information disclosure to

ensure the full-process coverage of the social

collaborative governance in food safety. China is also

working on establishing and improving the food safety

supervision system to boost the public's enthusiasm for

joining in the supervision of food safety.

3 THE CURRENT GOVERNANCE

SITUATION OF FOOD SAFETY

SUPERVISION IN CHINA

3.1 Achievement in Food Safety

Regulation

The general status of food security supervision in

China is relatively stable and has been developing in

a favorable direction. It is obvious that the food safety

regulation mechanism in China has been

continuously developed in the direction of

legalization. The promulgation and optimization of

laws and regulations such as the Food Safety Law of

the People's Republic of China, the Product Quality

Law of the People's Republic of China, and the

Metrology Law of the People's Republic of China

have provided scientific bases for relevant

departments to carry out food safety supervision work

(Wang, 2024). Since 2012, China has conducted two

rounds of overall transformations of the government's

food safety supervision system. The transformation of

the supervision mode was achieved in 2013. The

functions of relevant departments were further

integrated in 2018, forming a unified government

food safety risk supervision system for the large

national market. This also represents the progress of

China's research in specific fields such as supervision

techniques and risk assessment. Up to now, China has

established a nationwide food safety risk monitoring

network that covers multiple food categories. A three-

dimensional monitoring system has taken shape,

promoting the standardized and scientific

development of the food safety supervision system

and enhancing the supervision efficiency.

3.2 The Deficiencies in Food Safety

Regulation

Even though the food safety situation is steadily

improving, the emergence of food safety problems

has never ceased. This also reflects some of the

problems that exist in China's current food safety

regulation. The first point is that some food safety

supervision departments have the problem of

insufficient resource allocation, resulting in weak

food supervision forces. To be more specific, it is

manifested in the insufficient allocation of

supervisors, the limited quantity of supervision

equipment, and the relatively single method of food

safety supervision (Du, 2024). All of the above

problems will lead to a lack of risk prevention

A Review of the Changes in China’s Food Safety Supervision Policies

285

awareness, so that there may be a lag in detecting and

solving problems (Li et al., 2023).The second point is

that the relevant departments have failed to fully

implement their responsibilities for food safety

supervision. In recent years, as the Food Safety Law

of the People’s Republic of China and its

implementing regulations were issued, strong

guarantees have been provided for the development

of food safety supervision work (Zhang, 2023).

However, the responsibility segregation among some

food safety supervision agencies is unclear at the

moment. This results in the inability to promptly

identify the specific responsible parties when food

safety issues arise, greatly reducing the supervision

efficiency of food safety work (Du, 2024). Moreover,

the publicity of food safety supervision in China is

insufficient. The industrial chain of food safety

supervision is long, often involving multiple

departments and enterprises. Therefore, relying

solely on government departments cannot achieve

effective supervision. It is also necessary to give full

play to the strength of all sectors of society and

encourage them to actively participate in the work of

food safety supervision (Yang, 2022). Finally, the

informatization level of food safety supervision still

needs to be further improved. With continuous new

ideas emerging in food safety supervision

technologies, China has set up a food safety network

system. Meanwhile, significant headway has been

achieved in food safety quality initiatives. By

contrast, some food safety supervision departments

have not yet formed an integrated food safety

supervision system that covers "all directions, the

whole process, and all fields". So there are certain

difficulties in information processing and collection.

Meanwhile, China has a vast territory, and there are

significant differences in food safety supervision

among different regions. As a result, there may be

poor information communication among food safety

supervision departments in different areas, making it

impossible to form a joint force for supervision.

4 CONCLUSION

Through a research review of the changing landscape

of food safety supervision policies, people can learn

about the profound transformation of China's food

safety supervision policies from the food hygiene law

enforcement relying on directives to the modern

governance system in the new era. It shows a more

comprehensive understanding of the policy

environment and the internal driving factors for the

changes in China's food safety supervision policies in

different periods. The evolution of China's food

safety supervision policies presents the continuous

enhancement of China's emphasis on food safety, the

continuous optimization of the supervision system,

the constant enhancement of the legal regime for food

supervision, and the modern development of

supervision techniques and means. At the same time,

it analyzes the present condition of food safety

regulation in China and several problems that exist. It

is required that the authorities strengthen the

promotion and guidance of food safety regulation, so

as to enable the public to actively participate in the

work of food safety supervision. Relevant

departments need to fulfill their responsibilities,

strengthen their supervision awareness, and ensure

the completion of food safety supervision with high

quality. Also, with the technological development of

food safety supervision, government departments

should ensure technology empowerment,

continuously innovate supervision measures, break

through supervision difficulties, and promote the food

safety supervision to keep pace with the times. The

findings of this research offer theoretical

considerations for the optimization of China's food

safety supervision system. However, due to the

complexity of food safety supervision issues, further

exploration and reflection are needed on how to better

integrate food safety supervision with China's

specific national conditions.

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