China releases draft revision of food safety Law for public comment

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China’s State Administration for Market Regulation released a draft revision of the Food Safety Law on October 10, opening the proposed changes to public comment. Xinhua News Agency reported that the sweeping overhaul aims to address emerging risks in the food sector by tightening accountability across production, distribution, and online retail channels.

Draft Overhaul Establishes Five Key Regulatory Pillars

The draft revision centers on five core areas designed to modernize China’s food safety framework. First, the proposal presses enterprises to adopt stricter internal controls by requiring food production and trading businesses, alongside online platform operators, to appoint designated food safety officers and managers. It also establishes identity verification, parcel inspection, and security screening systems for postal and express delivery companies handling food items.

Second, the draft targets high-risk sectors through dedicated regulatory sections. It introduces a principal-responsibility system for school and kindergarten canteens, backed by mandatory meal accompaniment rules for administrators. Online food delivery and livestreaming platforms face tier-based record-filing systems, while cross-border e-commerce enterprises assume direct legal liability for imported goods. Regulatory oversight also expands to cover imported food additives and related products under customs jurisdiction.

Third, the revision updates administrative safeguards by broadening risk monitoring to include food additives and related materials. Special foods now explicitly encompass infant supplemental foods under a record-filing system. Fourth, regulators are pushing smart supervision by requiring businesses to install real-time video monitoring in critical production and processing zones, feeding live feeds directly into local market regulation bureaus.

Finally, the draft revamps legal penalties by establishing differentiated fines keyed to specific infractions. Regulators intend to enforce severe personal penalties against individuals who intentionally commit violations or cause serious harm, backed by a cross-departmental credit management system for joint disciplinary actions.

Regulators Enforce Campus Food Safety and Delivery Rules

Market regulators dedicated a specific section of the draft to campus food safety to protect sensitive student populations. An official with the market supervision administration explained that the provisions cement recent campaign gains by mandating principal responsibility, regulating procurement channels, and institutionalizing the presence of school administrators during student meals.

The revision similarly targets the booming online delivery market by requiring internet platforms to establish local branches or offices within each provincial-level region where they operate. Regulators state this geographic requirement ensures platforms maintain local merchant audits, routine inspections, and rapid local responses to consumer disputes. The draft mandates that online merchants display real-time video feeds of their kitchens, a practice intended to curb discrepancies between online storefronts and physical hygiene conditions while giving automated AI systems the data needed to spot hidden violations.

Agency Collects Public Feedback on Draft Text

The State Administration for Market Regulation is collecting public feedback on the draft text through established government channels. The agency has not yet announced a definitive date for the final legislative submission to the national legislature following the conclusion of the public comment period.