China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) will be put under the Ministry of Health(MOH) as part of the cabinet restructuring reform to better monitor the country's food and drug safety.
The reform plan was announced by State Councilor Hua Jianmin here on Tuesday, also secretary general of the cabinet, to the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. The new MOH will be authorized to coordinate food safety management, organize investigations into serious food safety accidents and give due punishment, Hua said.
He said the MOH is also responsible for the constitution of the national food safety standards, the pharmaceutical code and a basic state pharmaceutical system.

State Councilor Hua Jianmin, who is also Secretary General of the State Council, delivers the explanation of the plan for institutional restructuring of the State Council during the fourth plenary meeting of the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2008. The SFDA, after the reform, is responsible for food sanitation permit and monitoring of food and eatery businesses. The administration shall also monitor drug safety, including the process of research, production, circulation and use.
Source: Xinhua