The Chinese mainland and Taiwan set up a channel for experts from both sides to talk directly about food safety issues, a mainland official said on Wednesday.

The move comes in the wake of the scandal over tainted dairy products that left more than 50,000 children ill. Chinese dairy products were also banned in many countries.

Experts from six departments of the mainland and Taiwan can now talk directly through the mainland's Association for the Relations across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) and Taiwan's Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF), State Council Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesman Yang Yi said.

Previously, such issues were often discussed by trade unions.

Spokesman Yang said the new channel of communication started operating Oct. 6.

(Xinhua News Agency October 15, 2008)