Jiao Yang: New regulations issued to strengthen import and export food safety

Jiao Yang, Professor-level Senior Engineer

Vice Chairman of CIFST Food Safety and Standards Technical Branch

General Administration of Customs International Inspection and Quarantine Standards and Technical Regulations Research Center

Director of TBT Research Department

Expert opinion 1: Optimize and integrate the customs food safety supervision system and improve import and export food safety management

As the competent authority for national import and export food safety, the General Administration of Customs has resolutely implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's "four strictest" requirements, based on the Food Safety Law and other laws and regulations, and in accordance with the principles of safety first, prevention first, risk management, full process control, and international governance. It has established an imported food supply chain safety management system as the main line to ensure the safety of imported food.

Establish an imported food conformity assessment system, an overseas country (region) food safety management system assessment system for imported food, an overseas production enterprise registration system, an importer and exporter filing system, an accompanying certificate inspection system, a document review system, clear on-site inspection requirements, a supervisory sampling system, an import and sales record inspection system, and a system for handling unqualified imported food and controlling risks.

For exported food, the customs shall supervise and manage the exported food in accordance with the law. The supervision and management measures for exported food include: filing of export food raw material planting and breeding farms, filing of export food production enterprises, enterprise verification, document review, on-site inspection, supervision sampling, port sampling, overseas notification verification and a combination of these.

Expert opinion 2: Give full play to the prevention role of registration management, and make it clear that all foreign food production enterprises exporting all types of food to my country must register

The scope of registration for imported food enterprises has been expanded from the catalog system of the original "Catalogue for the Implementation of Registration of Overseas Imported Food Manufacturers" to overseas manufacturers of all categories of food. The risk management principle of the "Food Safety Law" has been introduced, and the "official recommendation registration" model has been adopted for overseas manufacturers of 18 categories of food, and the "enterprise self-application" model with a simpler procedure has been adopted for overseas manufacturers of other foods outside the 18 categories. In addition, it is stipulated that the customs can adjust the registration method and application materials of relevant enterprises according to the changes in the risks of a certain type of food.

Expert opinion three: Strengthen the main responsibilities of imported food production and operation enterprises

Foreign exporters, agents and importers of imported food shall register with the customs and be responsible for the authenticity and validity of the information they provide. Establish an import and sales record system. Establish an audit system for foreign exporters and foreign production enterprises. Focus on auditing the formulation and implementation of food safety risk control measures; ensure that food complies with Chinese laws and regulations and national food safety standards.

Cooperate with customs to implement conformity assessment. Declare imported food information truthfully in accordance with the law, apply for entry animal and plant quarantine permits as required, store and move imported food as required, and dispose of food that fails conformity assessment as required. Ensure that the packaging and labeling of imported food meet relevant requirements. Recall unqualified food as required. Ensure that food imported into my country meets relevant requirements.

Expert opinion 4: Promote the implementation of the overall responsibility of overseas competent authorities

Provide necessary assistance for evaluation and review. The competent authorities of the exporting party shall ensure that the food produced under this system and entering the Chinese market continues to comply with the requirements of Chinese laws and regulations and national food safety standards; the competent authorities of the exporting country (region) shall be responsible for the authenticity, completeness and validity of the submitted application materials.

According to international practice, exporting countries (regions) should actively cooperate with importing countries (regions) and provide necessary assistance for evaluation and review. For matters that need to be rectified during evaluation and review, the competent authorities and relevant enterprises should organize rectification in a timely manner and provide the rectification status to the General Administration of Customs.

Implement the registration system for overseas food manufacturers. Overseas competent authorities should urge overseas food manufacturers to apply for enterprise registration with the General Administration of Customs in accordance with relevant regulations. And implement effective supervision on food manufacturers exporting to China in accordance with the requirements of international treaties and bilateral agreements.

Source: Tuchong Creative

Expert suggestion 1: Further strengthen supervision and form a joint supervision force

The supervision of import and export food safety is not the responsibility of a single department or link. It requires collaboration and coordination among all departments across the entire chain to strengthen entry and exit requirements. From source to port supervision, to subsequent audits and inspections of companies, each link needs to optimize the closed loop, continue to carry out supervision, perform effective duties, and ensure the safety of import and export food.

Expert suggestion 2: All parties should clarify their responsibilities and promote the implementation of the new regulations

Foreign competent authorities should ensure that their food safety management systems operate effectively, continue to effectively supervise food companies exporting to China, and ensure the effective implementation of international food safety governance; clarify that domestic import and export companies and foreign food companies exporting to China should, based on legal obligations, clarify in which aspects companies should fulfill their primary responsibilities for food safety; customs further strengthen import and export food safety supervision, and through the implementation of the Measures and Regulations, strengthen the import and export food safety supervision system, optimize the risk warning mechanism, and increase penalties.

Expert suggestion three: Enterprises should prepare in time to avoid affecting operations

The Measures and Regulations will come into effect on January 1, 2022. Food import and export-related companies should carefully study the new regulations, prepare for import and export-related matters in a timely manner in accordance with the requirements of the new regulations, and urge overseas production companies to complete registration as soon as possible.

The "Scientific Interpretation of Food Safety and Health Hot Topics Media Communication Conference" has been held for 10 consecutive years since 2012. Every year, authoritative experts are invited to provide scientific interpretations of the annual food safety and health hot topics. In the form of "consensus in the scientific and technological community", it is widely disseminated through mainstream media and new media, such as television, newspapers, the Internet, Weibo, WeChat, etc. With scientific truth and fair suggestions, we will guide the public opinion on food safety in my country to gradually change in a scientific, objective and rigorous direction, and convey the positive energy of China's food safety.