China is at a relatively high risk of food safety problems as the nation is still in an age of social and economic transformation, said a high-ranking food safety official.

Teng Jiacai, vice-minister of the China Food and Drug Administration, made the remarks at the 12th China Food Safety Annual Conference in Beijing on Oct 18.

"Major challenges include limited capacity in food production and safety management, insufficient regulation and system standards, and a lack of competent supervision, particularly at the grassroots level," he pointed out.

However, such problems could hardly be solved overnight and "innovative supervision and management of food safety is required, highlighting involvement of the entire society," Teng noted.

According to him, the authority has been putting a whole-process supervision system from production to market in place to safeguard food safety and quality.

Also, a so-called "black name list" system has been established to inform timely consumers of problem food products and producers, he noted.

"The food producer is always the first in line to be accountable for product safety and quality," he stressed.