Abstract:

The frequent occurrence of food safety scandals has become one of the most serious problems in China. One of
the most important reasons may be due to the lack of stringent penalties from food safety laws and regulations to offenders.
Although the Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China has been issued and enforced for four years, there are
still quite a few issues that need to be revised. Food safety issues are not a unique phenomenon in China. During the first
industrial revolution, the UK has also experienced similar food safety crises. It turns out that the process of improvement
of their food safety status is closely related to the improvement of food safety laws. This article reviews the historical
evolution of food safety legislation in the UK, discusses the current food safety legal system in China, and puts forward three
suggestions on regulating food safety liability in the Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China.

Key words: food safety, legal liability, legislative enhancement, penalty, Britain