According to the plan, the Food Safety Steering Committee will conduct two interdepartmental inspections focusing on food safety in 2023. The first will take place during the 2023 Lunar New Year and Spring Festival season, while the second will take place during the "Food Safety Action Month" in 2023.
The inspections will mainly focus on quality control at various stages of food production, including the source of raw materials, transportation, preservation, production and processing, as well as import and market distribution. In addition, the use of food additives, processing aids, flavors and colors in food processing will be monitored, as well as the control of prohibited substances in animal husbandry, cultivation and aquaculture, such as residues, antibiotics, pesticide residues and veterinary drugs.
Other areas of focus include controlling small-scale livestock and poultry slaughter, banning the use of salbutamol in livestock, and monitoring counterfeit, expired or smuggled food. Emphasis will also be placed on regulating multi-level business activities, e-commerce in food, and scrutinizing health foods, dietary supplements, and foods fortified with micronutrients.
Enforcement agencies will increase their efforts to sample and test food products, with particular attention to products at risk of contamination with prohibited substances. Such products include those intended for people with hypertension, diabetes, osteoarthritis pain, high blood fat, erectile dysfunction, weight gain and weight loss.
Food manufacturing, trading, importing, and advertising units must comply with post-audit regulations, which include product announcement for medical nutrition, special diet foods, and infant formula. These entities must prioritize the post-audit of product self-declaration dossiers at the relevant application receiving agency. In addition, there will be a focus on post-audit of product announcements, conditions for ensuring food safety, imported foods, labeling compliance, advertising, production and trade of food additives, and food traceability.
For food service and street food businesses, the focus will be on follow-up inspection of general food safety regulations and ensuring compliance with food safety assurance conditions. In addition, the use of food additives, processing aids and ingredients will be monitored, and food safety in collective kitchens in industrial zones, schools, ready-to-eat establishments, tourist areas, festivals, large events and street food will be strictly controlled and enforced.
Food safety management agencies will be responsible for reviewing their own government management responsibilities to ensure that they perform their duties effectively. This includes focusing on the implementation of food safety assurance in accordance with their assigned functions and tasks; issuing and withdrawing product announcements and products subject to self-declaration/registration of product announcements, certificates of advertisement content, and certificates of food safety compliant establishments; food safety information, education, and communication; inspection, post-inspection, and handling of violations.