When someone shares with you something of value, you have an obligation to share it with others.
Monday 2 March 2009
Celebrities liable for endorsing unsafe foods
Celebrities will share liability if the food products they endorse prove to be unsafe, under a law to be submitted to Beijing’s parliament, state media reported on Thursday.
Celebrities will share liability if the food products they endorse prove to be unsafe, under a law to be submitted to Beijing’s parliament, state media reported on Thursday.
The report by the China Daily gave no details on how stars would be held accountable under the draft law, but quoted a legal expert saying the “joint liability” provision would leave them open to compensation claims.
The stipulation is part of the government’s efforts to bolster food safety systems following a string of scandals that have killed or sickened consumers and hurt the image overseas of Chinese exports.
In one of the biggest, at least six infants died last year and nearly 300,000 were sickened by baby formula tainted by an industrial chemical that had been added to milk supplies to give the appearance of higher protein.
The paper quoted Liu Xirong, deputy director of the National People’s Congress Law Committee, as saying the clause was written after legislators complained over false or exaggerated food ads, many featuring celebrities.
“So, we consider it necessary to impose stricter controls over food ads,” Mr. Liu was quoted as saying.
The food safety law also will set up a central food safety commission, state media have said.
The commission will be formed under the State Council according to the law, which also will cut to five the number of government departments with jurisdiction over food safety issues, the newspaper said.
Experts have said a key reason that China’s regulatory systems fail to head off food safety problems is that too many different agencies have jurisdiction over the vast, chaotic and sometimes corrupt industry.
The former head of China’s State Food and Drug Administration, Zheng Xiaoyu, was executed in 2007 for taking bribes in exchange for product safety licences.
1 comment:
Celebrities liable for endorsing unsafe foods
Agence France-Presse in Beijing
26 February 2009
Celebrities will share liability if the food products they endorse prove to be unsafe, under a law to be submitted to Beijing’s parliament, state media reported on Thursday.
The report by the China Daily gave no details on how stars would be held accountable under the draft law, but quoted a legal expert saying the “joint liability” provision would leave them open to compensation claims.
The stipulation is part of the government’s efforts to bolster food safety systems following a string of scandals that have killed or sickened consumers and hurt the image overseas of Chinese exports.
In one of the biggest, at least six infants died last year and nearly 300,000 were sickened by baby formula tainted by an industrial chemical that had been added to milk supplies to give the appearance of higher protein.
The paper quoted Liu Xirong, deputy director of the National People’s Congress Law Committee, as saying the clause was written after legislators complained over false or exaggerated food ads, many featuring celebrities.
“So, we consider it necessary to impose stricter controls over food ads,” Mr. Liu was quoted as saying.
The food safety law also will set up a central food safety commission, state media have said.
The commission will be formed under the State Council according to the law, which also will cut to five the number of government departments with jurisdiction over food safety issues, the newspaper said.
Experts have said a key reason that China’s regulatory systems fail to head off food safety problems is that too many different agencies have jurisdiction over the vast, chaotic and sometimes corrupt industry.
The former head of China’s State Food and Drug Administration, Zheng Xiaoyu, was executed in 2007 for taking bribes in exchange for product safety licences.
Post a Comment