General Administration of Food and Drug sets up shop

China's ministry-level General Administration of Food and Drug is due to set up shop on Friday.

The general administration will combine the functions of the existing State Council's Food Safety Office, the State Food and Drug Administration. It will also take on the food supervision duties from the General Administration of Quality Supervision and the Inspection and Quarantine and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. The general administration will be responsible for supervising food and drug safety in the process of production, circulation and consumption.

The establishment of the General Administration of Food and Drug is aimed at eliminating overlap in government functions on the food safety system.