China is taking on the powerful food takeout and delivery business. New regulations recently issued aim to improve the safety of takeout and delivery food, which is a major business in China’s large cities. The regulation requires that any business offering a food preparation and delivery service must maintain a real restaurant wit a physical presence. The restaurant must be properly licensed to provide food preparation services.
In short, food preparation and delivery services which have arising primarily as online delivery services, will be held to the same regulatory standards as sit-down restaurants.
If a food preparation and delivery service violates the regulations, authorities will order online hosting platforms to take down the services food advertisements, and the business will be suspended.
In addition, those online platforms offering advertisements of food delivery services are required to develop a food delivery safety control system, and are required to obtain and publish relevant operational permits for each of the food preparation companies listed on their online platform.
The law goes further to require preparation and delivery personnel to maintain good personal hygiene, utilize clean and food safe containers, and have an obligation to prevent contamination. Employers of food prep and delivery personnel are required to provide training and appropriate tools to keep food safe along its journey to your door.