Singapore: According to the South China Morning Post, China is going to establish a single regulatory to watch over the safety of food and pharmaceuticals. This is expected to streamline a complex regulatory system and will curb scandals that have emerged over food contamination and fake medicines.

The ministerial-level regulatory body is expected to be approved at the annual session of the National People's Congress and will replace the present system that comprises of 13 government agencies.

Academics and food safety experts complain that the multiple agencies create blind spots and overlaps that contribute to a lack of consumer confidence in China's food and drug industry. The fact that consumers continue to lack confidence in the system despite some well-publicized nationwide crackdown on tainted milk and counterfeit drugs, highlights the prevalence of the grave situation.