Since this year, market regulation departments found in the daily supervision and inspection that some chain food enterprises have not been in place to implement the food purchase inspection records, raw material stores and food processing and production are not standardized, and the environments are not clean and tidy, causing widespread concern in the society. In order to guard the food safety for the people, the General Office of the State Administration for Market Regulation issued a notice on October 15^th, 2021, with the following details:

Ⅰ Entity responsibilities of the chain food enterprises

1. Safety management. Headquarters of the chain food enterprises should take overall responsibility for the food safety of the enterprise, establish and improve the food safety management system covering from the headquarters to the stores (including direct, joint venture, franchise, etc., the same below); supervise the central kitchens, distribution centers and stores to strictly implement the food safety management and operation procedures.
2. Self-investigation and self-correction. The headquarters of the chain food enterprises should carry out a comprehensive food safety self-examination of all aspects such as headquarters, central kitchens, distribution centers and stores on a regular basis to correct food safety violations, prevent and eliminate food safety risks and hazards combined with the actual situations of the enterprises and public opinions reflected in the food safety of other enterprises in the same industry.
3. Stop food waste. Headquarters of chain food enterprises should promote stores to take the initiative to remind consumers to prevent food waste by posting or placing anti-food waste signs in prominent locations; improve the quality of food supply, prepare foods under standard specifications, reasonably determine the number and portion size, and provide small-sized meals and other different sizes for consumers to choose. No processing and production of illegal fishing catches in the Yangtze River basin.

Ⅱ Enhanced investigation and punishment for illegal behaviors

After the food safety incident occurred in the chain food enterprise, the market regulation department where the store involved should quickly verify. Food operators have been ordered to suspend operations, revoke licenses for violations of the accumulated three times in a year, the market regulation department should be responsible for due suspensions until the revocation of licenses. Based on the illegal situation of the stores involved and the responsibility for food safety of the chain food enterprise, the legal representative, main person in charge, directly responsible supervisors and other directly responsible persons are fined more than one times and less than 10 times of the income they obtained from the unit in the previous year.

Ⅲ Exposure of illegal behaviors and joint discipline

For food safety problems of chain food enterprises reflected in media monitoring and consumer complaints, local market regulation departments should strictly carry out on-site verification, increase the exposure of investigation and punishment to form an effective deterrent to illegal behaviors. If proven true, the market regulation department where the incident occurred should strengthen the license approval for all stores of the same brand, increase the frequency of daily inspections and random checks, investigate and punish illegal behavior strictly, seriously and quickly according to law. Meanwhile, in accordance with the Measures for the Administration of List of Serious Illegal and Dishonest Acts, the enterprise will be listed in the list of serious illegal and dishonest acts.

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Mr. Mike Chang (Partner)

TEL: 0086-21-68868321

Email: mikechang@shanghaiinvest.com