I am heading to the 4th CIFSQ Conference & Expo to be held in the dynamic city of Shanghai as a keynote speaker on November 10. So, I am keeping up to date on all things food safety on China. This AP headline caught my eye – “China vows harsh penalties for food safety crimes.”

The official Xinhua News Agency cited a joint notice issued by the Public Security Bureau and three top law agencies as saying severe or large-scale food safety cases must be strictly punished. “Those deserving death penalties should be resolutely sentenced to death,” Xinhua quoted the notice as saying. Thursday’s notice also promised harsher punishment for government officials who accept bribes and protect or ignore food safety offenders. “Officials who are involved in food safety crimes should not be given a reprieve or be exempt from criminal punishment,” Xinhua quoted the document as saying.

Perhaps I should invite some USDA, FSIS and FDA officials to speak at the Conference? Perhaps, the Egg Man, DeCoster and the Peanut Guy, Parnell, would accept a one-way plane ticket to Shanghai?