BEIJING ~ China’s prime minister has called for tougher penalties against food safety offenders as a series of international health scandals threatened to hit Chinese exports.

“Our country has many food safety rules and laws, but there are still many transgressions and the main reason is that we have not clamped down hard enough,” said Wen Jiabao.

“Fines are too low. The money offenders stand to make is much more than the fines, which explains their temerity,” the premier told a meeting of government members and provincial officials to discuss the growing problem.