Shanghai mulls blacklist mechanism amid food safety concerns

 SHANGHAI, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The municipal government of Shanghai is considering rolling out a mechanism¹ that would blacklist enterprises involved in illegal conduct regarding food safety and impose harsh punishments on them, a senior official said Wednesday.

Vice² mayor Shen Xiaoming said the mechanism would cover 11 types of misconduct, as well as include company executives in the blacklist.

Food companies that use banned drugs or other substances that might be harmful to people during the planting of farm produce or its processing and transportation would be blacklisted, according to a proposed regulation on food safety.

Other banned activities include producing food using inedible³ substance or materials, illegally making, selling or using banned food additives⁴ and recycling food as a raw material.

Once blacklisted, the enterprises will face strict market access and harsh punishment from multiple authorities, Shen said.

Enterprises that are blacklisted will receive administrative⁵ punishment at the highest level and their executives will be banned from operating food businesses in the city, said Gu Zhenhua, deputy director of the municipal food safety committee's office.

Such enterprises will also be disqualified from applying for government subsidies⁶ or enjoying preferential policies, Gu said.

The regulation is expected to take effect in 2013.

China has long been plagued by food safety problems. In early November, products made by liquor company Jiugui were found to contain toxic⁷ plasticizer, arousing public concern and anger about food safety.

1 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 inedible   

adj.不能吃的，不宜食用的

参考例句：

• The food was totally inedible.食物完全无法下咽。
• These chemicals make the fruit inedible.这些化学品使这种水果不宜食用。

4 additives   

n.添加剂( additive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• chemical additives in petrol 汽油中的化学添加剂
• It'says on the packet that these crisps contain no additives. 包装上说这些炸薯片不含添加剂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

6 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。