Structure Changes in Food System and China's Concerns with Food Safety Policy

Abstract

After nearly four decades of remarkable economic growth, the food system changes dramatically in China. As incomes are increasing, consumers surpass the subsistence‐level and switch to strong preferences for palatable, safety, and healthy foodstuffs, and the dietary patterns are undergoing a transformation from “eating for satiation” to “eating for health”. Therefore, consumers pay more attention to food safety. However, the present food supply system can not keep the pace up with such transformation of demand for food safety due to the existence of distorted market mechanism in food market. As the existence of high frequency of food safety scandals, food safety has become an issue of enormous public concern in China. This paper takes an overview of the transformations of food system, drivers of food safety problems, and the related food safety policies and management in China. To solve the food safety issues, it is necessary to take countermeasures to reform the food production, processing, circulation, and sale and consumption. Some condensed recommendations are as follows: (1) to set up the food safety risk management and communication with “consumer priority” principle; (2) to improve food quality monitor technologies and food safety risk assessment; (3) to reform food safety governance system and make it incentive compatible; and (4) to complement the national credibility system and settle the distorted food markets in China.