More Targeted Enforcement, Greater Transparency Needed

"This is especially evident in urban markets, where some testing equipment is left unused or wasted, and testing personnel receive inadequate training."

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FROM B1 Canada, told The Straits Times. Corruption has also been cited as a problem, with shady food producers paying off local officials to close one eye to their misdemeanors.

Local officials, who are mainly evaluated based on economic results rather than regulatory oversight, have little incentive to go after errant food producers. In some instances, whistleblowers have been silenced, and journalists faced repercussions for exposing these misdeeds.

China's extensive, often opaque supply chains also pose a challenge. The country has millions of small-scale food producers and vendors, many operating outside formal regulatory systems. Traceability is weak, especially for ingredients sourced from rural regions or sold in informal markets. To make matters worse, middlemen often blend or repackage food before it reaches the consumer.

China's hyper-competitive environment compounds the problem. Small-scale suppliers operating on wafer-thin margins cannot but be tempted to turn to cheaper ingredients of dubious quality to cut costs.

Public health authorities must also contend with products being peddled on multiple online sales channels, from e-commerce platforms such as Taobao to social media networks like Douyin as well as private WeChat groups and personal chats.