The government will attempt to pass a bill revision calling for enhanced regulations on imports of food products containing harmful substances like melamine.

The government on Tuesday said that under the revision, if any import is found to contain a harmful substance, the head of the Korea Food and Drug Administration will be given the power to prohibit the overall import of that product.

The proposed bill also stipulates that the import ban be lifted only when the export country conducts a probe and presents proper follow-up measures to improve the situation.

In addition, domestic food producers that use harmful materials will be sentenced to three or more years in prison in line with the government’s move to buckle down on the food safety issue.