Villagers harvest organic chili peppers in the fields of Zigui county, Yichang, Hubei province, on Aug 9. Following the onset of autumn, locally grown organic vegetables enter the harvest season, with farmers busy picking and sorting the produce for fruit and vegetable markets in other cities. WANG HUIFU/FOR CHINA DAILY

Stronger oversight across the entire farm-to-table chain is needed to address food safety risks, agricultural experts and officials said, as recent cases involving improper practices in the production and handling of vegetables have renewed public concern.

Food safety risks can emerge at multiple stages, from cultivation and procurement to distribution and storage, they said, calling for better production standards, traceability and supervision throughout the supply chain.

The calls came as authorities in Yuzhong county, Gansu province, said on Saturday that six companies had been found illegally using a food additive during lettuce procurement to make the vegetables appear fresher.

Agricultural and market regulators inspected 53 vegetable procurement and storage businesses across the county following online reports that lettuce had been artificially colored. The six companies have been placed under investigation, according to local authorities.

The case followed another recent food safety controversy involving Chinese cabbage in Kangbao county, Hebei province, adding to public concern over the handling of vegetables before they reach consumers.

"Food safety is not confined to any single link; it runs through the entire process from production to consumption," said Xu Jiuliang, an associate professor at China Agricultural University.

Xu said risks range from pesticide residues, heavy metals and other contaminants during production to the misuse of additives or illegal substances during processing and distribution, as well as improper storage and counterfeit or substandard products.

Speaking at the 2026 First Organic Vegetable Development Conference held in late August in Dali Bai autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, Xu said organic agriculture could help reduce some risks at the production stage through stricter management of agricultural inputs.

"The core value of organic agriculture does not lie in outperforming conventional farming by every measure, but in using whole-process management to reduce chemical inputs and the risks of pesticide exposure while promoting soil health, ecological protection and green consumption," he said.

Industry representatives said organic farming requires a broader technical system rather than simply eliminating conventional pesticides.

Yunnan Nature Star Agricultural Technology Co said it uses beneficial insects, including braconid wasps and predatory mites, for biological pest control, together with plant-, mineral- and microbe-based crop protection products permitted under organic certification standards.

But production is only one part of the chain.

Ke Bin, an inspector at the Yunnan provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs, said ecological cultivation should be combined with full-process traceability and cold chain logistics to ensure the safety and quality of organic vegetables. He also called for stronger coordination among provinces, governments and businesses, and between production and market demand.

The sector has considerable room for growth.

China had more than 23.3 million hectares of vegetable planting area and produced 860 million metric tons in 2024, while organic vegetables accounted for only 0.3 percent of the market, according to Zhao Zekun, secretary of the fourth joint Communist Party of China committee of national industry associations and chambers of commerce.

Zhao called for standardized production, full-process traceability and stricter certification and supervision, as well as stronger action against counterfeit and substandard products.

Zhang Fusuo, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said ecological agriculture should pursue high yields and quality while remaining green and organic without sacrificing farmers' incomes.

"Ultimately, we aim to align green development with increasing farmers' incomes," Zhang said.