China will require tighter controls over animal feed and feed additives after widespread cases of illegal feed additives have led to human poisonings in the last few years.

A new regulation would require producers of animal feed and feed additives to renew their licences every five years and set up quality control facilities, according to proposals for revision from the State Council’s legal office.

The office was seeking public opinion on the new regulation, according to a report posted on the central government website.

For the first time, imports of animal feed and feed additives have to be registered and approved by China’s agricultural authorities, and foreign firms are banned to sell feed additives directly in the domestic market, it said.

Producers and sales companies shall set up their records for tracing and are not allowed to add any banned drugs. Violators will face heavier punishment than stipulated earlier, it said.

China sentenced 15 people last year in the southern province of Guangzhou in connection with the addition of banned drugs to pig feed, leading to 70 incidents of people being poisoned.

One of the most serious cases of poisoning was in 2006, when more than 300 people in Shanghai became sick after taking drug-contaminated meat.