China Introduces Comprehensive Food Safety Policy to Enhance Quality and Oversight
China has announced a new food safety policy to enhance oversight throughout the supply chain. This guideline includes stricter regulations, improved traceability for agricultural products, and accountability for online food sales. It also tightens licensing requirements for producers and addresses food storage and transportation practices to ensure public health protection. Furthermore, measures are implemented for imported foods to meet safety standards.
China has unveiled a new guideline to enhance food quality and safety, aiming to strengthen oversight throughout the food supply chain, extending from farms to consumers. Issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, the policy entails stricter controls and enforcement measures to bolster public health protections.
The essential aspects of the reforms focus on improved coordination among regulatory bodies and advancing food safety through a robust traceability system for agricultural products. This initiative allows for better monitoring, ensuring that unsafe products do not reach consumers and facilitating rapid responses to safety concerns.
Additionally, the policy introduces stricter food production and business licensing regulations. Producers and distributors will now undergo rigorous checks before receiving licenses with compliance enforced at provincial and local levels. It also mandates traditional food producers to adhere to contemporary safety standards while maintaining cultural practices.
The guidelines also address food storage and transportation, initiating new safety protocols for warehouses and logistics companies. These protocols aim to maintain controlled conditions during the storage and transit of food to avoid contamination or spoilage.
In light of the rising trend in online food sales, the policy underscores the responsibilities of e-commerce platforms and livestreaming hosts, stressing the need for accountability and collaborative governance regarding food safety in online markets. It also calls for the formation of a comprehensive regulatory mechanism for food services.
For imported food products, the new policy establishes a risk management framework, ensuring that all foreign foods meet domestic safety standards, including increased scrutiny of foods sold via cross-border e-commerce. Notably, a report indicated the resolution of 12,000 food safety crime cases last year, illustrating ongoing challenges in this domain.
Recent undercover investigations revealed troubling practices at certain restaurant franchises, including the reuse of spoiled ingredients. Furthermore, the CCTV 3.15 Gala shed light on instances of excessive phosphate levels in shrimp marketed online as featuring “zero additives.”
The newly introduced policy in China represents a significant step toward enhancing food safety and quality across the entire food supply chain. By implementing stricter regulations, improving monitoring systems, and addressing online sales accountability, the government aims to protect public health effectively. The thorough approach includes rigorous checks for producers, attention to food storage processes, and heightened scrutiny of imported products.
Original Source: asianews.network
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