French retailer Carrefour has announced plans to strengthen its food safety and quality control facilities across China as its store network there grows, reports the Chinese News Service CNS.
The retailer told the agency that tighter quality controls will be needed as it opens outlets in 30 new Chinese cities over the next three years.
'The development plan calls for the firm support of a food safety testing system,' Dai Wei, vice-president of Carrefour China, is reported as saying.
Carrefour will add new A-grade laboratories to its national network in the next few years, the report said. 'The network of food testing laboratories will make it possible for the company to provide customers with products that are better quality and safer,' Dai said.
The retailer has already set up A-grade laboratories in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Liaoning province with facilities to examine food products on 65 testing parameters, such as pesticide residue, food additives, food preservatives and veterinary drugs, according to the report.
It has also established 43 mini-laboratories nationwide to test food products from its 236 stores in 73 Chinese cities on 11 parameters with quick methods of testing.
'Once unqualified products are found, we withdraw them immediately, inform the suppliers and report the case to the local government departments concerned,' Dai said.
In order to guarantee its food quality, Carrefour said it has also cooperated with 534 farm associations in China, from which it can purchase fruit and vegetables directly.
The practice has not only increased farmers' income, but provided consumers with food of higher quality, better safety and lower prices, Dai added. At present, 30 per cent of all fruits and vegetables purchased directly.
'We aim to increase the percentage to 50 by 2015,' Dai said.
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