Prosecutors urge punishment on eateries

Prosecutors in Xuhui District have urged district authorities to punish nine eateries offering online food-ordering services for illegal operation in their public interest litigation over the past two years by filing procuratorial suggestions and transferring evidence.

Seventeen individuals have been written into a list of those under tough food and drug supervision. Eight unlicensed dental clinics have been shut down, according to Xuhui District People’s Procuratorate.

The district market watchdog said last year that the nine eateries were found to be unlicensed or posting false information online by prosecutors, who later sent it procuratorial suggestions. It took action after receiving the evidence.

"We also enhanced our supervision of the online food-ordering platforms," said a market watchdog official. "When we find that the information or license of eateries and restaurants on these platforms are not true, we will tell the platform operator to remove them from the page and punish them."

She said it also cooperated with platforms and had food delivery staff as volunteers to report illegal eateries and restaurants.

On Tuesday, Xuhui District People’s Procuratorate also signed an agreement with the market watchdog to cooperate on cracking down on gang crime.

The procuratorate has investigated into 27 public interest litigation cases and issued 14 procuratorial suggestions since July 2017, when the public interest litigation was launched citywide.

Besides food and drug safety, Xuhui prosecutors also work on environmental protection. More than 1,000 tons of construction and household waste piled in wrong areas have been cleared. An auto repair company was punished for illegal pollution emissions.