A central food safety commission will be established in China as part of the nation's efforts to reduce the number of scandals involving dangerous food products, the state news agency Xinhua said Wednesday.

The United States has opened a Food and Drug Administration office in Beijing, as the first step in an FDA strategy to try to improve food and drug safety standards around the world. The moves comes one week after the United States placed a temporary ban on dairy products imported from China, which is still recovering from a scandal involving tainted milk.

Chinese products that contain milk will be detained at the U.S. border unless tests show they are not contaminated, reports The New York Times.

CNN just now reported that already four infants dead, 12,892 sick after drinking baby formula. Hong Kong girl, 3, first case outside mainland China, released from hospital. Nestle says none of its products in China is made from milk with melamine. Hong Kong government says melamine found in Chinese-made Nestle milk powder.

A senior Chinese official has protested against foreign media allegations discrediting the quality of Chinese products.

Safeguarding food safety has been made the top priority of China's industrial and commercial departments, with nearly 5,800 tons of substandard foods recalled in the first half of the year.

While criticism of China grows for its export of tainted food products and other consumables, the government in Beijing has yet to come up with convincing measures for improving the country's food safety system. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.