CCTV9英语新闻：最高人民法院发布食品药品纠纷典型案例（在线收听）

The Supreme People's Court is holding a press conference, to brief journalist on the prosecution of food and drug cases. The presiding Judge of Civil Trial Court One, Zhang Yongjian, and court spokesman Sun Jungong are hosting the press conference.

The press conference is expected to define how cases involving the sale of fake products, false endorsements and advertisements will be prosecuted.

Since taking office in March last year, the new Chinese leadership has promised to improve China’s health system and rein in surging costs of medicine and medical care, which are fuelling public frustration. China has suffered repeated scandals over fake or shoddy medications, some of which have caused deaths and injuries. Regulators have launched repeated crackdowns on false advertising and dubious endorsements. From July through December 2013, investigators have examined manufacturers, markets, clinics and online stores.

Food and drugs safety crimes in China have received international media scrutiny since it joined the World Trade Organization.

Urban residents have become more aware of food safety as their incomes rise. The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was perhaps the biggest food safety controversy in China. Six babies died and 294-thousands were sickened by the tainted formula. Nearly 52-thousand required hospitalization. Leaders of the dairy Sanlu Group where found to have known for months that their milk was tainted. The president of the company was sentenced to life imprisonmnet.

In March last year, more than 15-thousand pig carcasess were found in Huangpu River. There were dumped in the river following a crack-down on illegally produced pork in Zhejiang. Prior to the crackdown, local pork dealers had been buying pigs that were unfit for human consumption, and selling the meat to consumers.