Important Discourses on Food Safety and Policy Spirit - Shanxian Mutton Soup Industry Association

IMPORTANT STATEMENTS

Important Discourses on Food Safety

The following are verbatim excerpts of important discourses made public, arranged in chronological order of publication.

May 29, 2015 · The 23rd Group Study Session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee (Improving the Public Safety System)

We must effectively strengthen the supervision of food and drug safety, apply the strictest standards, the strictest supervision, the severest penalties, and the most serious accountability, accelerate the establishment of a sound and scientific governance system for food and drug safety, attach equal importance to production and regulation, and strictly guard every line of defense from the farm to the dining table and from the laboratory to the hospital.

Quoted from reports of Xinhua News Agency

“Whether we can give the people a satisfactory answer on food safety is a major test of our governing capability.” General Secretary Xi Jinping used four consecutive “most” characters: “the strictest standards, the strictest supervision, the severest penalties, and the most serious accountability”, requiring the assurance of “safety on the tip of the tongue” for the broad masses of the people.

Quoted from reports of Xinhua News Agency

‘Vegetable baskets’, ‘rice bags’, and ‘fruit plates’ are major matters of people’s livelihood.

Notes on the source:The passage “the strictest standards, the strictest supervision, the severest penalties, and the most serious accountability” (abbreviated as the “four strictest” requirements), according to reports of Xinhua News Agency and authoritative media such as the People’s Daily, is the content of the important speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinpingon May 29, 2015at the 23rd group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on improving the public safety system. Some official materials also attribute this statement tothe Central Rural Work Conference in December 2013. This page adopts the former (several authoritative media and articles by the responsible persons of the food and drug regulatory authorities at that time clearly point to the group study session of the Political Bureau on May 29, 2015), and the two attributions are noted here side by side.
Other discourses are reproduced from the publicly reported news of Xinhua News Agency: “Xi Jinping’s Concerns · Key Minor Matters | The Livelihood ‘Food’ Matters in Every Meal” (May 24, 2026) and “First Observation | Food Is the Paramount Necessity of the People, and the Party Takes the People as Its Foundation” (February 14, 2026).

KEY POLICY DOCUMENT

The “Opinions” on Whole-Chain Food Safety Regulation

The Opinions of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council on Further Strengthening Whole-Chain Food Safety Regulation (March 13, 2025) is a programmatic document for the current food safety work. In response to the problems in the linkage of supervision across all segments of the whole chain from the farm to the dining table, the Opinions put forward8 aspects and a total of 21specific measures.

Opening of the “Opinions”

With a view to further clarifying the responsibilities for food safety supervision, establishing and improving a coordinated supervision mechanism, strengthening the joint force of whole-chain supervision, resolutely holding the bottom line of food safety, and effectively protecting the health and safety of the people, with the consent of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the following opinions are hereby proposed.

The Eight Aspects

Improving coordinated supervision over edible agricultural products
Strengthening the review of licenses for food production and business operations
Accelerating the establishment of a supervision mechanism for food storage
Accelerating the establishment of a coordinated supervision mechanism for food transport
Improving the safety management of food delivery and distribution
Strengthening the supervision of new business forms of online food sales
Improving the comprehensive supervision mechanism for catering services
Improving the joint prevention and joint control mechanism for risks of imported food

The Opinions also set up a separate part on “strengthening organization and implementation”, requiring all regions and relevant departments to strengthen organizational leadership under the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, and the Food Safety Commission of the State Council and its Office to give full play to their roles in overall planning, coordination, and guidance.

RELEVANT PROVISIONS

Provisions Relevant to Meat Products and This Industry

The following provisions are directly relevant to the processing of meat products, traditional specialty foods, and the online sales business form. The original texts are excerpted for member enterprises to study against the originals.

(3) Strengthening the verification of certificates issued for the inspection and quarantine of meat products

Slaughter quarantine and the inspection of incoming goods

“Departments of agriculture and rural affairs should strengthen the management of certificates issued for the inspection and quarantine of meat products, establish and improve an informatized system for issuing slaughter quarantine certificates, promote the paperless issuance of certificates for the quality inspection of meat products, and specify the public channels for verifying inspection and quarantine certificates. They should improve the relevant provisions prohibiting the injection of water or other substances into livestock and poultry. Market regulation departments should urge food producers and business operators to take the certificate of conformity for the inspection and quarantine of meat products as the basic credential for the inspection of incoming meat products; actively explore the application of informatized means, and strengthen information sharing and interconnection with departments of agriculture and rural affairs.”

Corresponding segment: the inspection of incoming raw materials, the retention of slaughter quarantine certificates, and information sharing by the member enterprises of this Association.

(5) Regulating the market access for food production and business operations

Protection of the processing techniques of traditional specialty foods

“Licensing departments for food production and business operations should strictly implement the requirements for license review, strictly prohibit altering the licensing conditions without authorization or granting licenses without review, and market regulation departments at and above the provincial level should conduct supervision and inspection over the implementation of licensing for food production and business operations. …Protection of the processing techniques of traditional specialty foods should be strengthened and organically integrated with modern testing technologies, so as to ensure the distinctive characteristics and the quality and safety of foods."

Corresponding segment: while maintaining the characteristics of traditional techniques, local traditional specialty foods must be integrated with modern testing technologies to ensure quality and safety.

(15) Consolidating the primary responsibilities of entities engaged in online food sales

New business forms such as livestreaming sales, private-domain e-commerce, and community group buying

“Online trading platform enterprises should, as required, set up dedicated food safety management bodies or designate full-time food safety management personnel; strictly review the qualifications of food producers and business operators to sell on the platforms, and standardize the publication and disclosure of entity information and food information …Streamers and their service agencies should carry out marketing activities in a standardized manner and inspect the foods they recommend in accordance with the law. Participants in advertising activities should lawfully design, produce, act as agents for, and publish Internet advertisements for foods. Food producers and business operators should strictly control quality and safety and maintain the same standards and quality online and offline.Business entities that know or should know that the products are illegal but fail to take relevant handling measures shall bear the corresponding responsibility in accordance with the law.”

Corresponding segment: when member enterprises conduct e-commerce livestreaming and online sales, the inspection obligations of platforms, streamers, and service agencies, and the requirement of “the same standards and quality online and offline”.

(9) Implementing the primary responsibilities for food storage

Whole-process recording of storage

“Food storage entities should establish and improve food safety management systems and ensure the necessary conditions for food storage,implement whole-process recording of food storage,strictly control risks. The party entrusting food storage should review the entrusted party’s capacity to ensure food safety, and supervise the entrusted party to store food in accordance with the requirements for ensuring food safety. The entrusting and entrusted parties should specify the requirements for inspection upon delivery into and out of storage, and strictly manage the handover of delivery and the management of warehousing and release.”

Corresponding segment: the warehousing of finished products, entrusted storage, and the management of inspection upon warehousing and release.

All the provisions above are excerpted from the Opinions of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council on Further Strengthening Whole-Chain Food Safety Regulation (March 13, 2025); the original texts are available in the Gazette of the State Council on the website of the Chinese government. The numbers in parentheses are the item numbers of the original provisions; the bolding is either from the original texts or added on this page for ease of comparison (the original texts are not bolded). The complete provisions shall be subject to the officially published texts.

LEGAL FRAMEWORK

Relevant Laws, Regulations, and Systems

The main laws, regulations, and systems on which member enterprises rely for lawful and compliant business operations.

Name	Key Points
Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China	The foundational law in the field of food safety, which provides for food safety risk monitoring, standards, production and business operations, inspection, import and export, accident handling, and legal liability
Provisions on the Responsibility System of Local Party and Government Leading Officials for Food Safety (issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council)	The first intra-Party regulation on the food safety responsibilities of local Party and government leading officials; to implement thedual responsibility of the Party and the government for food safety, and to promote the formation of a working pattern of “shared responsibility of the Party and the government, dual duties of a single post, consistency of authority and responsibility, joint management by all, accountability for dereliction of duty, and exemption from liability for due performance of duties”
Standardization Law of the People’s Republic of China	Article 18: The State encourages social organizations such as societies, associations, and chambers of commerce to formulateGroup Standardsfor voluntary adoption by society (the legal basis for this Association to formulate group standards)
Trademark Law of the People’s Republic of China	The basis for the registration and use management of collective trademarks (the legal basis for the use and management of the “Shanxian Mutton Soup” collective trademark of this Association)

On the theme of the National Food Safety Publicity Week:In publicly available information, the theme of the 2026 National Food Safety Publicity Week has two versions, “upholding virtue and abiding by the law to share food safety” and “being honest and frugal to share food safety” (respectively found in the public information of the food safety offices of different local governments). This page makes no determination on this matter; when member enterprises carry out relevant publicity, please followthe formal notices of the Office of the Food Safety Commission of the State Council or the competent authority at a higher levelas the authority.

NATIONAL STANDARDS

Relevant National Standards (Common Standards)

The following are the food safety national standards and recommended national standardscommonly applicablein the fields of catering services, meat and meat products, and canned foods, for member enterprises to study against and verify.

I. General Hygienic Specifications

Standard No.	Standard Name	Version and Implementation
GB 14881—2025	National Food Safety Standard — General Hygienic Specification for Food Production	Published on 2025-09-02 (Announcement No. 6 of 2025),implemented from 2026-09-02, replacing GB 14881—2013
GB 31654—2021	National Food Safety Standard — General Hygienic Specification for Catering Services	Published on 2021-02-22 and implemented from 2022-02-22 (currently in force)
GB 31621—2014	National Food Safety Standard — Hygienic Specification for the Process of Food Business Operation	Business operation segment (currently in force)
GB 31646—2018	National Food Safety Standard — Hygienic Specification for the Production and Business Operation of Quick-Frozen Foods	Quick-frozen production and business operation (currently in force)

II. Limits and Food Additives

Standard No.	Standard Name	Version and Implementation
GB 2762—2025	National Food Safety Standard — Limits of Contaminants in Foods	Published on 2025-09-02,replacing GB 2762—2022
GB 29921—2021	National Food Safety Standard — Limits of Pathogenic Bacteria in Prepackaged Foods	Currently in force
GB 31607—2021	National Food Safety Standard — Limits of Pathogenic Bacteria in Bulk Ready-to-Eat Foods	Currently in force
GB 2760	National Food Safety Standard — Standard for the Use of Food Additives	The 2024 edition is currently in force; the standard has been revised several times, and the latest version shall prevail
GB 14880—2012	National Food Safety Standard — Standard for the Use of Food Nutritional Fortification Substances	Currently in force

III. Product and Labeling (Key Focus)

Standard No.	Standard Name	Version and Implementation
GB 7718—2025	National Food Safety Standard — General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods	Published on 2025-03-16,mandatorily implemented from 2027-03-16, replacing GB 7718—2011; during the transition period, it is recommended to start the label revision in advance
GB 28050—2025	National Food Safety Standard — General Standard for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods	Published simultaneously with GB 7718—2025,implemented from 2027-03-16; the nutrition facts table is expanded from “1+4” to “1+6”, with saturated fat (fatty acids) and sugar newly added as mandatory labeling items
GB/T 9961—2026	Fresh and frozen mutton	Implemented from 2026-09-01, replacing GB/T 9961—2008
GB 2707	National Food Safety Standard — Fresh (Frozen) Livestock and Poultry Products	Raw meat (referenced in the group standard)
GB/T 17237—2026	General Technical Conditions for the Slaughter and Processing of Livestock and Poultry	Implemented from 2026-09-01, replacing GB/T 17237—2008

⚠️ Important Notice on Labeling Wording (GB 7718—2025):The new version of the standard imposes stricter requirements on labeling wording—
① The use of “not added”, “not used”, and their synonyms is prohibited;
② Only when the content of a certain ingredient is indeed “0” may expressions such as “free of” or “contains no” be used in accordance with the law, and supporting inspection materials are required;
③ Gluten-containing cereals, crustaceans, fish, eggs, peanuts, soybeans, milk, and nuts—the eight major categories of allergenic substances must be mandatorily labeled;
④ The date of manufacture and the expiry date of the shelf life shall be marked in theyear-month-dayorder, clearly and legibly;
⑤ When a label specifically highlights a certain ingredient, the amount added or the content of that ingredient must be indicated.
It is recommended that member enterprises review and adjust the wording used in product packaging, promotional materials, and online detail pages in advance against the new standard.

IV. Standard Access and Download

The texts of national food safety standards are publicly released by the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulationand can be accessed and downloaded free of charge:

Platform	Website	Purpose
Data Retrieval Platform for National Food Safety Standards (National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment)	sppt.cfsa.net.cn:8086/db	Access and download of the texts of national food safety standards(official channel, free of charge)
National Health Commission	nhc.gov.cn	Standard publication announcements, interpretation materials, and Q&A
National Public Service Platform for Standards Information	std.samr.gov.cn	Inquiry of information on national standards, local standards, group standards, and enterprise standards
National Digital Standards Library	ndls.org.cn	Standard bibliographic information and text services
China Standards Online Service Network	spc.org.cn	Online reading and subscription of standards

On the acquisition of standard texts (copyright boundaries):
① National food safety standards—are publicly issued by state organs and can beFree Access and Downloadthrough the official platforms listed in the table above; all parties are welcome to use them;
② Recommended national standards and group standards(such as the GB/T series, T/SXCSSP, T/YRTLM)—the copyright of the standard texts belongs to the issuing organization or the competent unit in charge; this website does not provide full-text downloads; please query through official platforms or purchase/apply for the texts from the standard-issuing organizations;
③ This page and all pages of this websiteonly list the standard numbers and names, and do not copy or host the full texts of the standards;
④ Enterprises must usethe official texts and the current effective versions when implementing standards.

Notes:① Standardsshall follow the current effective versions—national food safety standards are revised dynamically along with risk assessment and industrial development; please verify the latest versions when citing (for example, GB 2760 has been revised several times, and new versions of GB/T 9961 and GB/T 17237 will be implemented from 2026-09-01); ② this page only lists the standard numbers and names,without reproducing the full texts of the standards; ③ the copyright of the standard texts belongs to the standard-issuing organizations, and enterprises should obtain the official texts through regular channels when implementing standards; ④ the applicability of the standards listed in the table above should be judged in light of the enterprise’s own product categories and the scope of its production licenses.

The standard numbers and names in this table are compiled based on the standard publication announcements of the State Administration for Market Regulation (National Standardization Administration), the publication information on national food safety standards released by the National Health Commission, and the public replies of local government market regulation departments; the publication and implementation dates of GB 31654—2021 are based on the text of that standard; GB/T 9961—2026 and GB/T 17237—2026 are based on the announcement of national standards published on February 27, 2026 (implemented from 2026-09-01).