China vows to rid food of redundant additives

China's Ministry of Health recently issued a prohibition directive regarding flour whitener. Chen Zhu, the minister of health, stated a firmer position yesterday against unsafe doses of unhealthy food additives.
He said that the goal is to guarantee the safety of medicines to citizens as well as to lift the standards of medical equipment during the 12th Five-Year Plan.
When presented the reasons for special concerns about food safety, Chen recalls the negative social impact that the milk scandal brought about. In 2008, melamine, a poisonous industrial material, was found to have been added to milk in order to make the level of protein appear higher and reduce cost.
This action went far beyond the use of food additives, and it is indeed illegal, Chen said. And, after the milk scandal, the government has begun to focus more on food safety.
Chen said that it is unnecessary to add brightener since consumers prefer organic and unadulterated flour anyways. He also warned that penalties for food safety crimes will be more severe in the future.
By Li Yancheng, People's Daily Online