Dalian drafts new food safety measures

Food safety has always been important to the CPC Dalian Committee and the Dalian municipal government as well as a hot topic citizens care about. CPPCC members have also focused on the problem of food safety.

Recently, a number of stores, supermarkets and small food grocers have sold expired or moldy food. To ensure that no expired or moldy foods circulate in Dalian's food markets and that no harm threatens citizen health, many members of the Dalian CPPCC suggested that Dalian must, in an institutional form, ensure the openness of food information, punish dishonest food operators and strengthen supervision and management.

Proposal 1

Dispose of expired food and provide timely consumer information

Ne Jianhong suggested that we establish a food withdrawal and destruction system as soon as possible.

First, we must standardize food operators. We must order all food operators to set up and carry out a "Consumer Reminder System" for expired food and to publicize this kind of food in a conspicuous place in stores.

Second, we must enhance food grocer supervision. Communities, neighborhoods and districts - and municipal-level governments - must initiate regular food safety inspections and regulations each year. We must standardize improper behaviors of food operators to impel them to consciously dispose of overdue or moldy foods and ensure no expired food stays on shelves.

Third, we must establish a system to dispose of overdue or moldy foods as well as systems for flow and publicity of overdue foods. We must create a transparent system for disposal, informing the public about the expired food, how they are disposed, and whether treatment measures are appropriate.

Proposal 2

Strengthen the punishment of dishonest food operators

Xie Peng said we must promote the development of a punishment system for food safety dishonesty.

First, we must build an integrity information database for food operators and a public service platform for food operator information, in particular, publicizing the integrity of online food operators.

Second, we must set up an official micro blog website to regularly publish the variety, quantity, price, expiration dates and related food safety information of Dalian’s food operators to help citizens and food consumers ensure food safety.

Thirdly, we must carry out the Dalian Food Safety Reporting Incentives to crack down on illegal food operators, and, in severe cases, prosecute the persons concerned for their criminal liability.

Proposal 3

Improve government supervision ability

Huang Rui suggested that we strengthen the supervision ability of the government. Relevant governmental departments must perfect a food safety criteria system, setting corresponding food safety assessment criteria for all kinds of foods in Dalian's markets. We must establish a food risk monitoring and evaluation system and increase financing for food inspection and testing institutions in order to improve the food inspection and testing capacity of these institutions. We must establish and perfect mechanisms for food safety emergencies to improve our response ability in these emergencies.

Proposal 4

Destroy expired foods when they cannot be recycled

Wang Hong said, "The flow of expired foods is now clear at stores and supermarkets. As learned, most of them are returned to producers according to agreements between the two sides, but no one knows what happens after that."

Wang suggested that once the foods pass their shelf life, they should be taken off the shelves immediately and destroyed on site if they cannot be recycled, never allowing them to flow back to suppliers or producers. We must make a law to make it clear how to dispose of expired food, who is to do it and how they are to do it. We must classify expired food, sorting out those that can be reused or put back into the market after re-processing, and destroying those that cannot be recycled through professional treatment.