**1. Introduction**

With the rapid development of the social economy under globalization, various kinds of public emergencies in traditional and nontraditional fields have become increasingly prominent, which has become an important hidden threat to national security and people's property and life security [1]. Frequent food security incidents have resulted in the repeated questioning of the credibility of the governmen<sup>t</sup> [2]. Researchers have found that an effective emergency system can reduce accident losses to less than 6% compared to a situation without an emergency system [3]. In view of this, in the process of dealing with crisis events, the appropriateness of the emergency response system has become the focus of researchers.

In recent years, major food security incidents have occurred frequently in Mainland China, the number and degree of harm of which are both increasing. Food security has attracted more attention from all walks of life than ever before, resulting in a crisis of public confidence in food security [4]. In terms of recent food security incidents, poisonous milk powder incidents broke out in March 2008, but due to the preparation for the Olympic Games, the local governmen<sup>t</sup> of Hebei did not deal with these in time. The poisonous milk powder incident continued until the New Zealand governmen<sup>t</sup> reported the incident to China in September. This incident a ffected China's foreign trade and seriously damaged China's international image [5]. This incident caused social unrest because the melamine mixed in the infant milk powder caused kidney lesions in infants [5]. In view of the importance of food security issues, the Food Security Law of Mainland China regulates scientific and e ffective supervision measures with a clear and systematic division of responsibilities for food security supervision, which provides a legal guarantee to resolve the current prominent food security issues in a proper and orderly manner. However, due to the unique and complex market environment of Mainland China, food security supervision will still face multiple dilemmas with respect to the system and technology [6].

Taiwan's food security crisis has also been spreading [7]. From the "plasticizer" to the "Datong Tainted Oil" incidents, food security issues have also been emerging in Taiwan one after the other. The emergence of the poisonous starch incident in 2013 in Taiwan set o ff a panic in Taiwanese society. The o fficial poisonous compound in the starch was maleic anhydride. It was originally used as a food packaging material and adhesive, but some practitioners mixed it into edible starch to increase the viscosity and elasticity of the starch. This substance was illegally added and may cause kidney damage. In April 2013, seven county and municipal health bureaus, such as New Taipei City, began to investigate the manufacturers using the poisonous starch closely. In May, the New Taipei City Health Bureau found that Mingji tofu contained the toxic starch elements, and its raw material was procured from Sanjin Powder Trading Company, located in Tainan; therefore, the Health Bureau of Tainan City continued to investigate the incident. In order to eliminate the circulation of the toxic starch in the market and require the raw material manufacturers of the starch to start providing security certificates from the downstream manufacturers, pitchmen, and food practitioners starting in June, the Health Department launched the "0527 Food Security Project". The "0527 Food Security Project" was a project for food safety control initiated by the resolution of the Conference on Research and Strategies organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which invited experts from food management, science and technology, and public health and medical fields in order to solve the food safety problem caused by the malicious addition of maleic anhydride to starch. It was launched by the Health Department to check all starch manufacturers in Taiwan. Because the poisonous starch incident was a significant issue, it brought food security issues to the public's attention, as well as governmental actions on food security issues [4].

Mainland China and Taiwan are facing a major impact from food security issues. In the face of many major food security incidents in Mainland China and Taiwan over the years and in view of the fact that food security a ffects people's lives and health, this article performs a comparative study of food security in the two regions, which should help governments and nongovernmental organizations to learn from each other's progress at the levels of food supervision and the legal system and to establish an e ffective food supervision mechanism and rigorous legal system to protect consumers' rights and interests. Taking advantage of the promotion of the "Food Security Law" in Mainland China, this study explores the legal system of food security supervision, which should have theoretical and practical significance to solve food security problems e ffectively [8]. A comparative analysis of the current situation of food security in Taiwan could be helpful in implementing a cross-strait food security agreement, enhancing food security communication and mutual trust in Mainland China and Taiwan, thereby ensuring the security and health of local citizens [9].
