A national production standard for food fillings has been formulated and is likely to be published by the end of this year, the China General Chamber of Commerce (CGCC) announced on Monday as public doubts linger over the cardboard bun saga.

The standard will be applied to most mass-produced food with fillings that are consumed on a daily basis such as buns, dumplings, cakes, bread, and ice-cream.

However, it will not cover hand-made food fillings in restaurants and from vendors. Quick-frozen dumpling fillings are also not included in the list because of the "wide variety and complexity" of the fillings.

Examination standards for each pound of food filling that comes off the production line have been drawn up. The products will be tested on smell and for any contaminations, impurities or microorganisms. They will be deemed unfit for consumption if they fails any of the tests, the Beijing-based Legal Mirror reported on Sunday.

Liu Qing, a middle-aged Beijinger supported the move. "This is a good thing for us," he said.

However, a female office worker named Huang Yue doubted whether the standard could be effectively carried out. "How can the government effectively control exactly how much salt and meat is added in so many food workshops?" she questioned.

The CGCC began drafting the standard in 2005 and the draft was submitted to experts for their opinions. It is the first national standard for general food fillings, following an industrial standard for moon-cake fillings.

(Xinhua News Agency July 24 2007)