China, reeling from a series of health scandals, told food and drug companies on Friday to put safety first and warned the growing problem could threaten social stability in the world's most populous nation.
The revelations have grabbed global attention after patients in Panama died from poisonous ingredients in medicine and pets died in the United States from substandard feed, while tainted Chinese toothpaste was found in Central America and elsewhere.
"Companies are the people with the first line of responsibility for food and drug safety, and must strengthen management, uphold the law in their operations, honestly follow regulations and guarantee safety," food and drug watchdog chief Shao Mingli said.
"Food and drugs are special products, and manufacturers and sellers cannot only go after economic gain," Shao told a work meeting, according to a statement on the watchdog's Web site (www.sda.gov.cn).
"Ensuring food and drink safety for the public is our unshirkable responsibility," he added.
This week, domestic media reported on dumplings found to have been stuffed with cardboard scraps and bogus rabies vaccines.
With the Beijing Olympics just over one year away, officials also said a specially developed food quality control system would be employed at 39 Olympic test events starting August 8.
Public fears about food safety grew in 2004, when at least 13 babies died of malnutrition in Anhui province, in eastern China, after they were fed fake milk powder with no nutritional value.
These incidents could provoke unrest, Shao said, echoing a warning given by a colleague last weekend.
"Food and drug safety is critical to the people's health and lives, and is critical for social stability and harmony," said Shao, whose predecessor, Zheng Xiaoyu, was executed on Tuesday for corruption.
"This issue can easily morph into a much larger one and directly affect the image of local governments and the state, affect social stability and harmony as well as socio-economic development," Shao added.
The growing list of food safety scandals has prompted the army to step up checks on where its rations come from, a state newspaper said on Friday.
The People's Liberation Army -- whose 2.3 million servicemen make it the world's largest military -- will only be allowed to order food from suppliers who pass local government hygiene and safety tests, the official China Daily said.
"To strengthen food safety is to guarantee the PLA's combat capacity," it quoted Zhou Pengjun, an official at the General Logistics Department, as saying.
Canteens have to install more dishwashers, food will be sampled regularly and most staff will not be allowed to share food from common dishes as is the usual custom in China, the report said.
The army has also pledged to share information with civilian food and safety officials, the newspaper added.
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