The central government yesterday approved the first comprehensive law on food safety - a culmination of its recent food quality control campaign aimed at alleviating domestic and international concerns over substandard goods. The Food Safety Law had been passed in principle by the Standing Committee of the State Council and would be submitted to the National People's Congress, Xinhua reported. Analysts hailed the legislation as representing the first concerted legal effort to tackle a precarious food safety situation that had put the country under intense international scrutiny for the past few months. 'It's China's first law entirely devoted to food safety issues,' said Li Jianrong , a professor at Zhejiang Industry and Commerce University's Food Safety and Environmental Science College. The institution took part in drafting the law. 'It aims to cover the whole spectrum of the food industry, which for the past decade has evolved into a massive machine without a steering wheel,' he said. There had previously been no national law to regulate the food industry, which generated output valued at 1.5 trillion yuan last year, Professor Li said. The closest thing to it was a food hygiene law created in 1995 that mainly dealt with the consumption aspect of the business. 'A patchwork of regulations and guidelines set up by various ministries, ranging from the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Agriculture, deals with the all-important food safety issues,' Professor Li said. 'Contradictions in the regulatory process are commonplace.' Li Changjiang , head of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said the legislation would make an 'overall explanation on standardising food production, processing, consumption and regulation'. He added: 'I believe that the promulgation of this law will certainly effectively raise China's food safety situation and guarantee food safety and people's health.' Xinhua said the legislation focused on weak links in the food safety supervision system and expanded upon existing 'regulations and laws'. It mandated better release of information about food safety issues, higher fines for wayward firms and punishment of officials who act irresponsibly, and guaranteed the public's right to compensation and to sue, Xinhua said. It also strengthened regulation of food exports, in an obvious effort to restore the credibility of the 'made in China' label, which has come under fire overseas after a string of scandals ranging from poisonous toys to toxic fish. Beijing had adopted a tougher attitude in response. In the latest crackdown, it had arrested 774 people who made or sold fake or substandard food and drugs, Mr Li's watchdog said earlier this week. World Health Organisation head Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun told Mr Li she was happy with the actions China had taken to raise standards, especially the cabinet-level efforts led by Vice-Premier Wu Yi . 'In my meeting with Madame Wu Yi, I was very impressed with the work that has been undertaken at the State Council level, co-ordinated by her,' Dr Chan said. 'So I'm confident that the way forward will be good for the world and for China. This is exactly what we are looking to you for - strengthened efforts.' Mr Li showed Dr Chan a hi-tech surveillance system carrying live pictures from border checkpoints and a number of food processing factories, as well as his department's website. Dr Chan nodded approvingly as Mr Li showed how easy it was to access a blacklist of companies banned from exporting food from China, as well as those no longer allowed to import into China. 'The Chinese government has taken a responsible attitude on food safety,' Mr Li said. 'The level previously was not so high, as China has a huge population.' Inspection taskforce In a crackdown on the manufacturing and sale of substandard food, drugs and other products launched in August, 370,000 businesses and 17,000 markets are being checked by inspectors, the number of which totals: 187,000