Firms that flout food safety rules to be banned from operating in Beijing

Beijing will introduce tough laws to punish firms that flout food safety laws, the official Xinhua news agency reported, a significant move in China’s struggle to get its abysmal food safety record under control.

It follows a similar declaration by the city of Shanghai on Wednesday, saying it will blacklist firms that flout food safety laws.

Under the new Beijing regulations, which take effect in April, firms caught producing or selling unsafe foods will be banned from operating in the city for life, according to a municipal food safety regulation passed on Thursday.