June 13, 2024 Source: Economic Daily Editor: Yang Yuguo
- The State Administration for Market Regulation recently released the first batch of 33 food safety risk control lists, covering food production and operation formats such as food production, food sales, centralized dining unit canteens, as well as key food categories such as dairy products and infant formula milk powder. This list is an important regulation for the safety production of the food industry.
- Food safety concerns the vital interests of everyone. Whether it’s three meals a day for families, rice, noodles, grains, and oil in supermarkets, or stir fried takeout in restaurants, safety is the most basic and important demand of consumers. The risk control list has emerged in this context, allowing people to once again see the country’s firm determination to ensure food safety and safeguard public health.
- The release of the list marks a more refined and systematic stage in food safety supervision. From production to sales, from raw materials to finished products, every step is under strict supervision. Especially for sensitive areas such as dairy products and infant formula milk powder, the list guides enterprises to establish and improve risk prevention and control systems by clarifying risk points and corresponding control measures. Regardless of size, enterprises have risk control manuals that can be referenced, which also facilitates targeted supervision and inspection by regulatory authorities.
- This list is an important step forward for food safety supervision from post supervision to pre – and mid supervision. The traditional post supervision model often takes responsibility and rectification only after the problem occurs. Pre – and mid event supervision emphasizes strict supervision before problems arise. This preventive regulatory approach is expected to timely detect and solve safety hazards in food production and operation, effectively reduce the probability of food safety incidents, and is the key to preventing potential risks and ensuring food safety.
- Prior to and during supervision, enterprises are required to strengthen self-restraint and establish a sound food safety management system. As the first person responsible for food production, the completeness of an enterprise’s internal quality control system directly affects the safety of food. Guided by the risk list, enterprises will pay more attention to important links in food production, further enhancing the overall competitiveness of China’s food industry.
- Food safety is no small matter. To better ensure food safety, it is necessary to integrate risk prevention and control into every detail of daily management in order to truly build a seamless food safety network and safeguard the physical health and life safety of the people. (She Ying)