CHINA'S new draft food safety law, which lays out penalties from fines to life in prison for manufacturers of substandard food, was published on the national legislature Web site Sunday for public discussion.

Members of the public are being invited to make recommendations and submissions on the draft published at the National People's Congress (NPC) Web site, www.npc.gov.cn.

The draft law, covering food safety evaluation, monitoring, recall and information release, was submitted to the NPC Standing Committee in December last year for the first hearing.

The draft based on the existing Food Hygiene Law, would impose tougher penalties on food manufacturers and suppliers guilty of misconduct.

According to the draft, producers of substandard food products face fines, the confiscation of their incomes and revocation of production certificates. In serious cases, they could face prison terms ranging from three years to life.

The solicitation of public opinion will last till May 20. Submissions will then be delivered to the NPC Standing Committee for further study. A schedule for its legislative progress has yet to be set.

Chinese industries have come under the spotlight of domestic and foreign consumers with concerns about substandard products or tainted food over recent years. These sometimes led to international disputes in addition to poisoning or even deaths.

Food-related incidents, in particular, included vegetables with pesticide residue, fish contaminated with suspected carcinogens and eggs tainted with industrial dyes.

This is the first draft law made public by the 11th NPC since it held its first annual session in March this year.

China's top legislator Wu Bangguo promised in March to give the public more say in the formulation of food safety laws, amid domestic and international concerns for the country's food quality and safety.

(Xinhua)