Several Chinese cities are merging their various quality watchdogs to better ensure food safety, an issue that has seen several scandals in recent years.
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Tianjin set up its Market and Quality Supervision Administration on Wednesday after merging three municipal government departments - the Industry and Commerce Administration, Quality and Technical Inspection and the Food and Drug Administration.
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Tianjin's new combined market watchdog is the first provincial-level one of its kind in the country. Similar agencies have been established this year in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province; the Pudong New Area of Shanghai; and Shenzhen, Guangdong province.
 Several Chinese cities are merging their various quality watchdogs to better ensure food safety, an issue that has seen several scandals in recent years.
