The move is part of an initiative started in 2001 to enforce higher safety standards and has already brought 370 foods under the regulation.

The policy requires food manufacturers to hold a production licence, following checks on their food safety procedures and quality of their finished products, before they can bring such products to market.

An official with China's Administration of Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) told media agency Xinhua that the remaining 155 food products, out of a total 525 kinds of food, will come under market access control by the end of this year, as agreed at a recent AQSIQ meeting in Beijing.

An official at the food agency's market access branch told AP-Foodtechnology.com that the new products to be regulated under this system will include bakery products, soy products, honey products, puddings, noodles, chicken powder, and sauces.

He could not reveal any information on the date when the new policy will come into force.

China, which has been the source of some major food safety scandals, has already issued more than 63,000 licenses for food production. While authorities are stepping up quality and safety standards, some experts believe these standards are not being properly enforced.

AQSIQ says it carries out regular checks on food products under the market access scheme.