Food importers in Shanghai are bracing themselves for the implementation of a new regulatory mechanism that will mandate intercommunication of food safety information related to imported food between all regulatory bodies. The novel approach aims to close the information gap between food importation and market circulation and thereby enhance the monitoring capabilities and increase the ability of authorities to deal with adverse events.
The news broke just as food enterprise are recovering from the recent implemented of “Shanghai’s Food Safety Rule” dubbed as the toughest food safety rules ever, which demands food importers and traders to publish relevant information related to imported food products nearing the end of their quality guarantee period.
The new rule further stipulates that information regarding inspection and quarantine during importation and subsequent market circulation must be shared freely between the different regulatory bodies involved. Such an upgrade to information transparency will no doubt increase working efficiency during regulatory actions and the ability of authorities to uncover illicit acts associated with alteration of quality guarantee period information.
The implementation of the new rule heralds heightened regulatory pressures for food importers and will require complete supply chain transparency during product lifecycles and throughout the product chain of custody, ensuring accountability and safeguarding consumers. It also comes at a time when new forms of trade and business are springing up rapidly across China, such as e-commerce and the Wechat micro store, which complicates the regulatory landscape for imported food and poses fresh challenge to regulatory bodies. “In order to adapt to these changes, regulatory departments and agencies must work hand-in-hand by first removing blockades to information transparency, introducing proper standards and then involve the general public to bolster statutory effectiveness at a societal level”, said Chen Yin, deputy mayor of Shanghai.
In addition, the new rule will free up the manpower of authorities and improve reaction times to major food safety issues by allowing certain small-sized catering service providers without a license for food operation to continue business under a provisional record-keeping scheme, if they meet requirements from food safety and hygiene standards and do not negatively affect the lives of people in the surrounding neighborhood.
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