China set to complete food and drug system reform this year, reports People's Daily

China expects to complete its reform of local food and drug administration systems by the end of this year to better ensure food and drug safety, according to the local newspaper People's Daily, reported by the official news agency Xinhua.

A unified supervision and management system will be formed to encompass state- and local-level food and drug administration systems across the country by the end of this year, Zhang Yong, head of the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), said in an interview with the People's Daily. He said 10 provincial regions in China have already completed these reforms.

State-level food and drug administration system reform was completed by the end of May, according to the report. The reform is meant to substantially enhance the capabilities of supervision and management of food and drug safety, said Zhang.