developed countries, there are problems with them, Wang said. In developed countries such as the United States, there are well-established standards governing food production. Enterprises in the food industry are usually large and have good records in complying with laws and regulations.

In China, 80 percent of enterprises in the food industry are small and medium-sized, and many of those are self-proprietary. Although there are government standards, some firms place profit before ethics.

Take benzoyl peroxide as an example, which is used to make steamed bread whiter and softer. An overdose of benzoyl peroxide may harm the liver, so the Ministry of Health requires firms to replace it with potassium sorbate, a safer preservative. Yet, as potassium sorbate is three times as expensive as benzoyl peroxide, many firms still use the cheaper benzoyl peroxide to keep production cost low.

The threat to food safety in China is not that the additives themselves are not safe, said Su Zhi, Deputy Director of the bureau in charge of food safety and health inspection and supervision in the Ministry of Health. According to Su, the real problem is the illegal use of unauthorized chemicals in food and overuse or other wrongful use of food additives.

Stepping up regulation

On December 10, 2008, China launched a four-month special initiative against the illegal use or abuse of food additives.

Su is in charge of the lead group of the initiative, which he said would place priority on giving the public a correct understanding of food additives. The initiative is aimed at helping people eat well and healthily. It will be followed up with a series of further actions, Su said.

On December 15, the Ministry of Health published a blacklist of harmful chemicals that might be added to food as well as authorized food additives that might be abused. Su also revealed that more studies are being conducted and additional chemicals that endanger food safety will be published.

China has published a number of standards and regulations on the production, distribution and use of food additives, such as the Hygienic Standards for the Use of Food Additives, Measures for the Hygienic Administration of Food Additives, and the Hygienic Norms for Producing Enterprises of Food Additives.

Wang said that China uses risk evaluation in assessing the safety of food additives, and derives safe values through scientific experiments. Mao Qun'an, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, said that China has clear laws governing the use of additives.

Before a firm in the food industry is authorized to use an additive in its production process, it needs to submit a safety report, which will be reviewed by the National Technical Committee of Standardization on Food Additives.

The primary principle of the Ministry of Health concerning food additives is that they must not pose a public health hazard. If an authorized food additive is later proven to be harmful, it will be banned.

For instance, potassium bromate once was an authorized food additive used to make flour more pliable and elastic, but risk assessment suggested that long-term use of the chemical could be harmful. Hence, the Ministry of Health banned potassium bromate as an additive to flour on July 1, 2005.

"As food is of ultimate importance to people, ethical practice in the food industry is crucial," Xu said. According to him, about 70 percent of the foods inspected in China meet quality standards. Food additive abuse is blamed for most substandard foods. Xu believes regulators should be responsible if substandard foods are put on the market. Weak regulation gives unethical producers the opportunity to make illicit profits.

"The pressing issue in regulating food additives is to strictly implement food safety standards such as the Hygienic Standards for the Use of Food Additives," he said.