Title: Straining to catch up: China's food safety regime in disequilibrium

Authors: Huanan Liu, Jill E. Hobbs, William A. Kerr

Addresses: Department of Food Economics and Management, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, PR China. ' Department of Bioresource Policy, Business and Economics, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, Canada. ' Department of Bioresource Policy, Business and Economics, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, Canada

Abstract: The rapid pace of both economic growth and transition from a command to market economy has required a major restructuring of food safety institutions in the People|s Republic of China (PRC). The institutional transformation has consistently lagged behind the changes demanded by economic transformation. The declining ability to control both information and integration into the global food economy has brought scrutiny of institutional deficiencies and spurred reforms. Incentives to invest in food safety in the private sector and food safety training of workers all along food supply chains and in the inspection service remain the major public health challenges.

Keywords: China; food safety; incentives; institutions; public health; training; institutional transformation; economic transformation; inspection.

DOI: 10.1504/IJFSNPH.2009.026917

International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health, 2009 Vol.2 No.1, pp.30 - 47

Published online: 08 Jul 2009 *

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