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BEIJING - China has set up a team of top officials to steer efforts at repairing the stained reputation of the country's food and products at home and abroad, state media announced on Thursday.
The "leading small group on product quality and food safety" would "co-ordinate the resolution of major problems" with dangerous goods that have alarmed domestic and international consumers, the People's Daily announced.
China is under growing pressure from abroad over food and product safety scandals, including toxic ingredients used in medicine that killed patients in Panama and toothpaste made using an industrial solvent.
But domestic worry about dangerous medicines, foods, toys and other consumer goods has also been mounting.
The decision to establish the group was made on Wednesday by the State Council, or government cabinet, which also announced provisional rules intended to stifle sub-standard production.
The government revealed earlier this month that 19.1 per cent of goods for domestic consumption checked in the first half of this year failed standards. Among smaller manufacturers, the failure rate was 27.1 per cent.
- REUTERS
