Food safety law, commission established

China has introduced its first food safety law in order to develop unified national standards for food safety, Bloomberg reported. The law, adopted by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, will establish a cabinet-level commission tasked with reducing regulatory overlap and increasing the legal liability of food producers. Criminal and civil penalties for food safety violations will be strengthened, and producers will be required to keep more detailed records of their activities. Last year, milk powder tainted with the chemical melamine killed six children and left 300,000 ill.