China will intensify food safety supervision in rural areas this year, according to China's food and drug watchdog in Beijing Wednesday.

By the end of 2007, a government at township level and county level must establish food accident response systems, said Yang Jiangying, spokeswoman of the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA).

"The local governments should shoulder their responsibilities to discover, report and handle food safety accidents timely through the system," Yan said.

"SFDA will also make special inspection over small-sized food companies, workshops and restaurants in rural areas, aiming to eradicate possible hidden dangers of food accidents," Yan said.

A credit system among food companies will be set up and companies which violate China's food safety regulations will be written on SFDA's blacklist.

Yan also announced on Wednesday that the SFDA would hold regular press conferences to brief the media on China's food security situation.

(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2007)