Vegetable yields have increased in China because of the increasing demand for vegetables; however, chemical contamination present in vegetable fields threatens food safety in China. Based on the data for the areas under cultivation and yields of vegetables and grains, price indices for agricultural production inputs, agricultural materials per unit area, producer price indices and net profits from vegetable and grain production, the potential for food safety risks in China caused by contamination of vegetable fields was analyzed based on comparison between vegetables and grains of areas under cultivation, yields, net profit, and agricultural materials use per unit of area. The author found that the area under cultivation and yield of vegetables have significantly increased because of increasing public demand for vegetables in the diet and high market prices for vegetables since the initiation of socialist market economy reforms; however, the potential risk from the application of agricultural materials increased during the study period as the proportion of vegetable planting increased. Food safety in China could be improved by controlling contamination in vegetable fields.