Proposal focuses on safety of food online

China's online trading platforms might be held accountable for substandard food sold through their websites, one effect of tougher rules on food safety contained in a draft amendment being reviewed by the top legislature.

Online platforms would be required to register the information of food sellers, including their names and addresses, under the draft amendment to the Food Safety Law, which is to be deliberated this week. Sellers' licenses would also need to be verified.

Under the draft, which was released for public comment, consumers would be allowed to claim compensation from both the food producer and the seller if their rights have been violated. If a trading website is unable to provide the addresses and contacts of online sellers, consumers could also claim compensation from the online shopping sites.

If online shopping platforms have found food sellers to be engaged in illegal activity, they must cease facilitating further transactions and report the cases to county-level food and drug administrators, under the draft.

The platforms should permanently stop providing online services to any online sellers who have gravely violated the law.

Zhang Yong, head of the China Food and Drug Administration, told lawmakers on Monday that the amendment is expected to regulate online shopping activities and help consumers exercise their legal rights in cases related to food safety.

China's online food trade volume reached 32.4 billion yuan ($5.21 billion) last year, with a year-on-year increase of 47.9 percent, according to statistics from eguan.cn, a website providing commercial consultation services.

Chen Tao of the Beijing Lawyers' Association said the number of disputes between online food sellers and buyers has been rising in recent years.

It's difficult to supervise the online food trade because many sellers lack licenses from industrial and commercial authorities, he said.

China's central and local authorities have tightened regulations on online sales of food and drugs in recent years.

On May 28, China's Food and Drug Administration said in a draft regulation that online sellers should be licensed before they are allowed to sell.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn