China to speed up revisions of food safety standards

China plans to speed up revisions to its food safety standards, focusing on premade dishes, pesticide and veterinary drug residue testing, and cold chain transportation, as part of a comprehensive overhaul of the country's food safety law, according to the State Council's Food Safety Office.

The initiative aims to strengthen regulatory frameworks, ensuring oversight is based on comprehensive and updated standards, the office said.

Enhanced cross-departmental collaboration will support joint inspections and enforcement actions, targeting key areas such as school food safety, unqualified food delivery services, and the misuse of food additives. The initiative will include regular and targeted crackdowns to address public concerns, the office added.

The office also plans to intensify supervision of critical sectors, including agricultural products, food storage and transportation, online food sales, and imports. A zero-tolerance policy toward violations will be enforced, with strict penalties for noncompliance, it said.

In response to concerns about school food safety, the office will expand initiatives that integrate internet technologies, such as livestreaming, with kitchen monitoring to promote transparency in school kitchens. The initiative will also enhance collective procurement for school food supplies and enforce regular joint inspections to prevent substandard ingredients from reaching students.

To further bolster food safety efforts, the office will address urgent public concerns by improving the precision of inspections and proactively identifying risks to prevent potential problems before they arise, it added.

Last month, the National Health Commission released a draft national food safety standard for premade dishes, aiming to provide clearer definitions and tighten oversight of the rapidly expanding industry.