The country's top quality watchdog on Friday introduced landmark
recall systems that require producers to take back unsafe toys and
foodstuffs.
If producers do not carry out recalls on their own, the
government will order a recall and fine the producers up to three
times the value of the products, according to two regulations
published by the General Administration of Quality Supervision,
Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ).
The two regulations, introduced with immediate effect, follow
the introduction of a recall system for defective automobiles in
2005.
Both regulations state that producers must inform the public and
retailers, and report to the quality control authorities if it is
revealed that their products are unsafe. Retailers must immediately
stop selling the products and launch a timely investigation into
the defects or they will face a fine ranging from 1,000 to 50,000
yuan (US$132 to US$6,600).
Even if the products meet the country's quality safety
regulations and standards, the regulations note that toymakers
should still carry out a recall if their toys are found to be
potentially unsafe.
If producers fail to voluntarily recall their products, which
then cause serious public harm, they will have their production
licenses revoked and be subject to criminal charges, according to
the regulations.
Liu Zhaobin, director of the AQSIQ's policy and legislation
department, said the recall systems were designed to strengthen the
State Council Special Regulations on the Safety Supervision and
Administration of Food and Other Products, issued in July.
"Our regulations make it very clear that producers must take the
prior and major responsibilities for preventing and eliminating
unsafe products," he told a press briefing.
Yet the AQSIQ should set up a management system of all recall
information and evaluate the recalls under the regulations.
Liu said the country did recall unsafe food and toys in the
past, but it was done "case by case" without a sound system.
The food and toy recall systems follow the issuing of a draft
regulation on drug recall last month by the State Food and Drug
Administration (SFDA), which stipulated similar recall procedures
for unsafe drugs and medical devices.
The AQSIQ also issued a regulation to standardize the inspection
and quarantine of exported aquatic products.
"As the world's largest aquatic products exporter since 2002,
China needs such a regulation to offer a legal basis for the
inspection of such products," Liu said.
These latest moves follow a spate of safety scares over
made-in-China products. Reports have revealed isolated cases of
contaminated food additives, unsafe toothpaste, seafood and even
toys, and sparked global concern over Chinese products in
general.
Premier Wen Jiabao said China would face the problems squarely
and make consistent efforts to improve product quality. However, he
also noted that China did not support media hype and was against
trade protectionism.
Nancy Nord, acting chairwoman of US Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC), also warned on Wednesday against turning a
product safety issue with China into a trade issue.
"I think it will be foolish to turn a safety issue into a trade
issue," she was quoted by Xinhua News Agency as saying.
(China Daily September 1, 2007)