Unlicensed food firms becoming thing of past

Thirteen districts in Shanghai have zero unlicensed dining business, while authorities will step up efforts to crack down on, encourage the change of business model or promote the licensing of the remaining 1,049 unlicensed catering businesses in the city, the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration said yesterday.

Shanghai handled 22,579 unlicensed catering businesses this year as of Tuesday, according to the administration. Among these, some 51 percent were closed, 29 percent obtained licenses and 3.8 percent changed business.

Shanghai’s remaining unlicensed dining businesses are in Xuhui and Huangpu districts and the Pudong New Area. The former two have eliminated over 98 percent of unlicensed catering businesses, while Pudong has handled 82 percent, according to the administration.

At the district level, authorities have conducted intensive campaigns against unlicensed catering businesses with means such as increasing inspections and establishing tip-off and reward mechanisms, administration officials said.