United Fresh has applauded the spirit of a new law passed to improve the quality of produce from China. Passed by the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC) the country’s first comprehensive Food Safety Law (FSL) will go into effect on Monday.

"Given the large amount of Chinese produce and other food that the U.S. imports, continuous monitoring and enforcement are essential if China is to be successful," said Dr. David Gombas, senior vice president of food safety and technology.

The FSL, which has been five years in the making, provides the government with a legal basis to strengthen food safety control from production to purchase, covering food production, processing, consumption and regulation, as well as the creation of a state-level food safety commission to oversee the entire food monitoring system.

Under the FSL, the Chinese Departments of Health, Agriculture, Quality Supervision, Industry, and Commerce have each been tasked with making and implementing safety standards, evaluating risk and monitoring food production and circulation sectors. The law also calls for the quick release of information concerned with food safety issues, as well as punishment for officials and firms who act irresponsibly or unlawfully.

In an effort to keep Americans informed, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service has provided an unofficial translation of the first implementation regulation of the FSL, which can be found here.