By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter

The government and the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) agreed to strengthen food safety controls by better labeling imported foods.

People who produce or import tainted foods and ingredients and redeem fraudulent gains will face stiffer punishment, Rep. Ahn Hong-joon who heads a GNP policy coordination subcommittee said Sunday.

The measures came after mounting concerns over food safety triggered by melamine-tainted milk that made more than 10,000 infants across China sick and which has now been detected in South Korea.

Under the measures, food producers will have to take full responsibility when their foodstuff is found contaminated by toxic food additives or made in unhygienic conditions at home and abroad.

In addition, they must label the origins of imported and processed foods in foreign countries on the front of packaging with letters bigger than half of the brand name size to protect consumers' right to know.

When contaminated foods are reported, the government will inform the public of recalled items through subtitles on television Ahn said.

The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) will release processes and results of a food safety test, and a food safety committee under the Office of the Prime Minister will directly collect tainted foods, he said.

Internet users are also encouraged to report tainted snacks by posting video clips on the committee's Web site.

The two sides also agreed to introduce the ``two strike-out system'' under which food makers ordered to suspend business for producing harmful food will either lose their license or be shut down if they violate the law twice in two years.

They decided to redeem benefits of profiteering producers and fine up to 10 times that of fraudulent gains, Ahn said.

As part of tighter food safety regulations applied especially for children's finger food snacks, the nation will allow food makers to use food additives confirmed safe by the European Union, the Codex Alimentarius Commission of the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States and Japan, Ahn said.

Apologizing for an insufficient food safety net, the lawmaker said his party will establish a standing committee for safe food soon and also seek to launch a parliamentary committee to deal with the issue.

ksy@koreatimes.co.kr