Gangzha district in Nantong, Jiangsu province began a food safety promotion week with inspectors checking products in Yongxing Food Market on July 26.

The inspectors this year are mainly concerned with hot issues such as agricultural and veterinary drug residues, heavy metals, food additives and tableware disinfection. Vegetables, fruits, meat, aquatic products and other varieties of daily consumption in the market were given rapid on-the-spot testing on the week’s opening day.

The inspectors, consisting of members of the management committee of the development zone and the district’s health supervision institute, disseminated food safety knowledge through publicity materials and on-site consultations.

To verify food safety, the district government has invested 3.44 million yuan ($503,000) for two consecutive years in the rapid testing program of edible agricultural products.

As a result, by the end of July, the district is expected to complete one rapid test center, three grass-roots rapid test rooms and one fast test vehicle. Standardized fast test rooms will also be built in 18 food markets with each market testing 30 batches of products daily. Local market supervision bureaus will perform monthly on-site testing and make immediate announcements and on-the-spot inquiries to fully ensure that Gangzha district’s food remains safe.

The Food safety supervision group inspects the management and food safety of Yongxing Food Market in Gangzha district in Nantong, Jiangsu province on July 26, 2018. [Photo/ntgz.gov.cn]