The food safety draft law proposes that China's State Council set up a food safety commission to strengthen the country's food monitoring system. It aims to shore up an inefficient system that has long been blamed for repeated food scandals. It also proposes that celebrities who endorse unqualified food products share liability of damages incurred.

The draft law on food safety is undergoing a fourth reading by the NPC Standing Committee, China's top legislative body. It's likely to come up for a vote on Saturday.

Liu Xirong, the deputy director of Law Commision NPC Standing Committee, said, "After serious study, the State Council decided to set up a Food Safety Commission to be the high-level coordinating organization on these matters."

The draft law had been expected to be voted on last October. But the voting was postponed following the scandal involving tainted dairy products.

Li Yuan, office director of Legis. Affairs Commission, NPC Standing Commission, said, "The tainted dairy scandal exposed loopholes in the food safety monitoring network, as well as the failure of pre-warning, reporting and inspection systems. Chemicals and unauthorized additives in food production were not being closely monitored. And once something happened, it was dealt with too slowly. Targeting all these problems, the draft focuses on 8 aspects. And this makes the draft law more complete."

Several Chinese celebrities have advertised products for the Sanlu Group, one of the companies at the epicenter of the tainted dairy product scandal. The draft law stipulates the celebrities should be liable for damages incurred.

If passed, the law would replace the current Food Hygiene Law. The new draft law would substantially improve the regulation and quality of food production.

(CCTV February 26, 2009)