BEIJING — Chinese officials on Tuesday agreed to implement a detailed experimental tracking and data-sharing program for a limited number of foods, drugs and medical devices bound for the United States. U.S. officials hailed the agreement as a breakthrough, but independent food-safety experts said they are skeptical about whether China — or the U.S. — has the ability to implement such a system.
Under the two agreements signed Tuesday, the United States will be able to track certain food and drug exports from China as part of a broader registration and certification process designed to allay worries about the quality of Chinese products.
When crises over specific products erupt, as they did this year over pet food and seafood, Chinese officials have promised to allow U.S. officials access to Chinese food-processing plants and factories quickly.
In the event a product is discovered to have an “imminent or significant danger to health,” China must notify the United States within 48 hours.
The agreements are key components of the food-import safety plan that President Bush unveiled last month. They are also part of a larger overhaul of how the Food and Drug Administration handles imports.
The nearly two dozen types of goods affected by the two agreements reached Tuesday include many of concern to American consumers, such as pet food and farm-raised fish. Drugs and medical devices affected include pacemakers, insulin, human growth hormone, condoms and antibiotics.
