BEIJING – China’s Health Minister Chen Zhu reported that China will tighten food-safety risk monitoring on dairy and meat products, as well as food additives and alcohol this year, according to a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency that asked Zhu about key tasks of food-safety risks control for 2012. Zhu also added that food-related use of banned pesticides, veterinary medicine and illegal additives will also be targeted.

Meanwhile, the country will increase monitoring of radiation levels in food in response to the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, Chen said.

China established its National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center in October last year as a part of its efforts to prevent food-safety accidents through improved scientific management. The government-funded organization is designed to offer technological support in assessing and monitoring food-security risks and food-safety standards, as well as issuing early warnings and communicating information regarding the risks and standards.

According to Chen, there are a total of 1,196 sites across China for monitoring food-safety risks arising from chemical pollutants, illegal additives and pathogenic microorganisms.