City police are setting up a team of detectives dedicated to tackling food safety crimes, the annual session of the Shanghai People’s Congress has heard.

Under the control of the police bureau, the team will bring together law enforcement officers from government bodies and train new personnel, said Bai Shaokang, vice mayor and director of Shanghai Public Security Bureau.

“We need a zero-tolerance attitude to food safety criminals,” Bai told legislators.

He said this will drive improvements in food safety management and help build a unified food safety network.

A total of 416 suspects in food safety cases were detained in 137 cases in Shanghai last year — up 49 percent on 2012, said Yan Zuqiang, director of the Shanghai Food Safety Office.

Lawmakers also raised their concerns on temporary stalls selling food and clothes, which can impede access to Metro entrances.

Authorities have decided to remove illegal food stalls near stations, turning the areas into public squares and locating toilets there, officials said.

The city government has tackled more than 2,700 cases of illegal stalls and restaurants in the last two years, but they remain a major problem.