The Bama Yao autonomous county opened a food and drug control center on March 30, marking the first of its kind in Hechi.

The center was made possible by an investment of 6.5 million yuan (about $1 million), and is one of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region's first pilot projects in resource integration of food and drug safety inspection and detection.

It is a comprehensive testing organization, integrating four inspection bodies into one, testing drugs, foods, cosmetics and water. The center combines Bama's food inspection resources in local departments of food and drug regulation, aquatic products, animal husbandry and veterinary medicine, water conservancy as well as agriculture. It is equipped with functional rooms such as a heavy metal room, a microbiology laboratory and a liquid chromatography laboratory.

The establishment of the center will offer services for governmental departments, companies and individuals. It will be able to provide strong technological support for food and drug regulation and law enforcement, product identification as well as emergency disposal.

Edited by Owen Fishwick