More than 100 Chinese entrepreneurs vowed here to provide the country's 400 million-plus children and teenagers safe food, as part of a nationwide campaign to improve food safety that began on Friday.

These enterprises included the largest juice producer, Huiyuan Group; a leading dairy product manufacturer, Sanlu Dairy Company; Beijing Jiuhe Foods Company and baby food maker Beinmate.

PepsiCo (China) and Nestle China also became strategic partners of this drive, which was initiated by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation last August. It was jointly launched by 11 government departments including the National Development and Reform Commission, the ministries of education, agriculture, commerce and health and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

Pu Changcheng, deputy director of the AQSIQ, told the conference that the effort was intended to draw attention to the food safety of the country's young people and spread scientific diet and living methods among families.

"We should give more care to children from the vast rural areas and outlying mountainous regions to facilitate the healthy development of the country's children's food industry," added Pu, who is also the director of the campaign.

Chinese industries have come under scrutiny from domestic and foreign consumers who are concerned about substandard products and food.

Food-related incidents, in particular, included fake milk powder with no nutritional value, vegetables with pesticide residue and eggs tainted with the industrial dye Sudan Red.

During the campaign, a special fund for children's food safety will be established, national standards for food quality for children will be formulated and food quality in rural groceries and supermarkets will be supervised.

(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2008)