Shanghai looks for further success in food safety

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

About 98 percent of tested food samples were up to standard last year, and the city will have about 5,000 offline food safety model businesses by the end of this year, Shanghai's food watchdog announced on Wednesday.

The satisfaction score of food safety among residents was 83.9 points last year, according to the Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation.

Overall, the public is satisfied with the city's food safety and is aware of food safety, the administration said.

"The city's food safety situation is in good order, stable, under control and keeps improving," said Chen Xuejun, director of the administration.

By the end of this year, Shanghai will also have 1,000 online food-operation model businesses and 30 to 50 food safety model blocks, the administration said.

The 2020 Shanghai food safety promotion week started on Wednesday, including more than 40 activities such as a food safety seminar, a food safety emergency drill, campus promotions, webcasts on the quality of agricultural products, and competitions, the administration announced.

The event will last until the end of August.

Authorities have been promoting the use of waste oil as an ingredient in bio-diesel, the administration said.

The city has 327 such bio-diesel stations, serving about 15,000 vehicles on average daily, according to the administration.

A food safety tracking cooperation mechanism has been established in the Yangtze River Delta region and standards in the field are being drafted, the administration said.

A food safety tracking platform has been jointly created by authorities in Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuxi, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Hefei in the region.

By the end of this year, Shanghai will also have 250 food and drug science popularization stations to further raise the public awareness of food safety, the administration said. 

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE