Large rewards will be offered to people who report illegal
practices in the food industry under a drive to tighten food safety
in Beijing.
The newly released food safety regulation amendment raises the
top available reward to 50,000 yuan (US$6,579), five times higher
than before.
Announced by the Beijing Municipal Food Safety Committee, the
new rewards came into force yesterday.
Aside from the bigger rewards they include a guarantee that
people who anonymously report illegal practices will also be
rewarded.
"The new rewards should encourage people to get involved in
improving food standards," said Tang Wenhua, an official with the
food safety office under the Beijing municipal government.
Under the amendment, the use of a six-digit code instead of real
names is acceptable in reporting illegal practices in the
processing, transporting and sale of food.
Under the previous practice, identification was required to
claim rewards, which the committee feared drove away possible
sources scared of retaliation or inside informants likely to be
affected by action taken by their employers.
Feng Yuan, supervision director of the food safety office,
admitted that in the past many rewards never reached the people who
had uncovered illegal practices.
"Allowing anonymous reports will be good for both the general
public and those prepared to dig in the dirt to uncover wrong
doing," said Feng.
At the same time however, the office is mulling different ways
of preventing false reports filed by business rivals.
Adopted for trial in November 2004, the previous regulations
have seen 655 food safety violations reported and rewards totaling
121,651 yuan ($16,007) paid.
"Under the new amendment, reporting wrongdoing will be easier,"
Tang told China Daily.
Sources will be able to report illegal practices over the phone
and through letters, faxes and emails to any of the related
authorities of industrial and commercial administration, quality
control and supervision and public health watchdogs at all
levels.
When the allegations are proven, the sources will be able to
prove their identification by providing their ID card or the
six-digit code and collect their reward.
Aside from the large rewards available for reporting illegal
practices in the food industry, reports on hazards that threaten
public safety are now also guaranteed a reward of between 1,000
yuan (US$132) and 10,000 yuan ($1,320).
(China Daily July 27, 2007)