Shanghai seeking to be leader in food safety

SHANGHAI - The mayor of Shanghai, Han Zheng, said on Sunday that the city aims to become a leader in China's food safety.

Han's comment, made during the International Business Leaders' Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai, comes amid growing public pressure to regulate the much-criticized food industry, which has seen a spate of scandals in recent years.

In front of more than 100 multinational company executives, Han promised that Shanghai would adopt the "toughest" measures on food industry market access, supervision, law enforcement and punishment.