An industry in need of guide rails

When it comes to buying premade food, some of the main concerns for shoppers are safety and hygiene.

Potential hazards come in three main forms. The first issue is companies that are selling food being unlicensed and making food in a back kitchen with equipment that is substandard and where little to no attention is paid to hygienic methods of preparation.

The second issue is a lack of information, or none at all, given to buyers relating to ingredients, production date, use-by-date storage.

The third is a lack of information on what ingredients have been used.

Zhou Qingjie, executive dean of the Economics School of Beijing Technology and Business University, in an interview with Legal Daily, said the first thing to consider is whether the production process complies with food safety regulations, including the freshness of raw materials and the amounts of food additives used.

The cold chain link is crucial in transportation, particularly temperature control and attention to breakage.

In August 2020, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued a public consultation document on measures for overseeing the licensing of food businesses.

Food business categories were laid out, bringing different types of pre-made food within the scope of regulation.

With regard to hot food, cold food and raw food businesses, it was proposed that classification of simply prepared food be added, and requirements for the inspection of such business project would be simplified.

The definition of semifinished products was clarified and the document stipulated that applications for setting up such businesses must have the support of central kitchens.

"The regulatory authorities need to strengthen supervision through public notification, risk assessment and equipment inspection," Zhou said. "Food business companies need to strictly adhere to these regulations and improve the way they run themselves."

The pre-made food industry needs to be effectively supervised and governed by the appropriate entities, including regulators and consumer associations as well as the media and sales platforms, Zhou said.

The need for people to self-isolate during the pandemic has proved to be a boon for pre-made food industry. Staying at home has led people to cook more frequently, and has helped them better grasp the benefits of pre-made food.

Gao Mingqin of Shandong, a deputy in the National People's Congress, says the rapid development of the pre-made food industry not only triggered food safety and hygiene concerns, but also caused disorderly competition in the industry, and there were no fixed standards. It was thus difficult to ensure the quality of dishes and legitimate pricing.

In addition, the rapid growth of the pre-made food industry has had an impact on the price of raw materials, labor and cold chain logistics.

Some pre-made foods needs to be transported and distributed at low temperatures, which requires appropriate storage and an effective cold chain transportation system. The high cost of cold chain logistics has a direct bearing on the economics of the industry, as does the fact that it is highly labor intensive but has to grapple with a shortage of skilled workers and a high turnover rate.

Government departments urgently need to formulate industry standards to regulate entry conditions and make uniform regulations on raw materials, processing techniques, packaging, labeling, storage, cold chain transportation, microbiological indicators, additive indicators, pesticide residue indicators and other things, Gao says.