Regulators act to ensure food safety during lockdown

Shanghai is tightening up the monitoring and inspection of food safety violations to ensure the quality of free gift packs as well as food safety, the city's market regulators announced on Saturday night.

The announcement was made following a slew of cases involving substandard and bogus goods in free gift packs being delivered to locked-down residents by subdistrict and town authorities, triggering wide attention from the public.

The Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation said it will step up supervision and inspection. Commerce authorities at the district level will enhance reviews of the licenses and qualification of suppliers of free gift packs.

Businesses failing licensing and qualification requirements will be removed from the supplier list of government authorities and put under investigation.

Market watchdogs at the district level will beef up checks and inspections on free gift packs, and they will be delivered to residents only when they are confirmed up to standard.

Organizers of distribution bear food safety management responsibility and should monitor food safety management of manufacturers in food material procurement, transportation, storage and distribution processes.

For donated goods, districts, subdistricts and towns, and relevant units should enhance management of transportation, packaging and delivery.

Meal supply at makeshift hospitals will be the priority, and market regulators will stay on the spot at meal suppliers' working venues to ensure food safety.

Meanwhile, patrols will be conducted at companies supplying meals to quarantine hotels and medical treatment teams from other cities.

Market authorities will also step up monitoring and inspection at chain supermarkets, convenience stores, warehouses of e-commerce platforms, wholesale markets and catering businesses with fresh food quality particularly targeted.

Violations will be strictly cracked down on and exposed to the public.

Those found in dereliction of duty will face punishment, and cases involving food safety crimes will be handled to police.

Districts, subdistricts and towns should keep their service hotlines available, make investigations and respond to residents' concerns once they have received complaints.

Residents can report food safety irregularities via 12315, China's market watchdog's hotline.