China releases the latest “Food Permit Filing”
The key points and process of revising the Measures are briefly as follows:
Background to the revision:
In response to requirements such as deepening the reform of food business licenses and revising the new food safety law.
Adapt to the innovative and high-quality development needs of the food business industry.
Solve new demands for local supervision and optimize grassroots licensing work.
Revision process:
Legislate scientifically, adhere to a problem-oriented approach, and respond to grassroots needs.
Extensive solicitation of opinions and multiple rounds of revisions and improvements.
Fully gather consensus from all parties and improve the quality of legislation.
The main goals of the revision are to meet practical needs, strengthen food safety supervision, and simplify licensing procedures to improve efficiency and service levels.
The key revisions of the “Measures” in implementing the reform spirit of “decentralizing power, delegating power, optimizing regulation and optimizing the business environment” and optimizing the business environment are as follows:
- Filing management: Clarify the filing requirements for the sale of prepackaged foods only, and change the name of the relevant measures to “Measures for the Management of Food Business Licensing and Filing.”
- Adjustment of licensing matters: Adjust the original licensing matters to reporting matters and simplify the food business licensing procedures.
- Licensing time limit compression: Compress the licensing work time limit to improve efficiency, and license decisions can be made within up to 15 working days.
- Informatization construction: Promote the informatization construction of food business licenses and registrations, realize the entire process of online processing, and ensure that electronic certificates have legal validity.
- Adapt to new business formats and technological development: New business formats such as automatic production and sales equipment are allowed to apply for food business licenses and are required to provide relevant information.
- Simplified licensing requirements: Further simplify licensing requirements for simple food production and sales activities such as picking cucumbers and making tea.
- Adjust food business categories and projects: refine food business projects, add semi-finished product manufacturing and sales projects, and clarify situations where permission is not required.
- Strengthen the labeling of main business types: Strengthen the licensing requirements for food wholesale business, school canteens, etc.
- Adjust licensing conditions: clarify the requirements for food safety management personnel such as food safety directors and food safety officers.
- Improve legal responsibilities: Set up legal responsibilities for changing license matters, and set up legal responsibilities for illegal activities that only sell pre-packaged food.
- Strengthen flexible law enforcement: use flexible punishment methods, first order corrections within a time limit, and then impose penalties.
Source: Website of the State Administration for Market Regulation