In Hunan, a land rich in culinary delights, over 1.6 million takeout orders are delivered to every corner of the city daily. From the first aroma of rice noodles in the early morning to the spicy crayfish late at night, takeout has become an indispensable part of life for Hunan people. Since November 2024, Hunan Province has been promoting "food safety seals" across the board, forming a robust food safety protection network through the close integration of government guidance, market operations, and social co-governance.

By the end of June this year, the usage rate of "food safety seals" across the province had risen to 27%; in concentrated dining areas and key commercial districts, the usage rate reached as high as 59%. What measures has Hunan adopted on the path of promoting "food safety seals," and what results have been achieved at this stage?

At the policy level, in 2024, the Administration for Market Regulation of Hunan Province seized the opportunity to revise the "Regulations on the Management of Small Food Production and Processing Workshops, Small Catering Services, and Food Vendors in Hunan Province," adding relevant provisions for "food safety seals." It also introduced supporting guidelines, the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Use of Food Safety Seals for Online Catering Takeout," and the local standard "Technical Specifications for the Management of Disposable Food Safety Seals," establishing a complete institutional framework of "regulations + policies + standards" that provides solid institutional safeguards for the promotion efforts.

In terms of publicity, to deeply embed the concept of "food safety seals" in public consciousness, Hunan has engaged in a series of innovative promotional activities, such as the launch ceremony for the Hunan Provincial "March 15" International Consumer Rights Day theme promotion and the use of "food safety seals" for online catering takeout, street interviews, and cultural and creative design contests. These efforts broadly mobilized platforms, associations, businesses, delivery riders, and consumers to participate, and attracted significant public attention, effectively raising the visibility and influence of "food safety seals."

In brand building, Hunan innovatively launched the "Xiangshou Xiangqian" IP image and promotional video, while strengthening intellectual property protection through patent applications and trademark registrations for related content. Through a multi-dimensional online and offline promotional matrix, sustained high-frequency exposure has cumulatively reached tens of millions of people.

In terms of technical support, to better serve businesses and consumers, Hunan established the main promotional platform, achieving precise information dissemination and government-public interaction through the public account platform. It enhanced the mini-program platform, guiding 1,319 catering businesses to register and distributing over 400,000 free seals, with plans to issue more than one million. Meanwhile, it actively expanded business service functions, prioritizing the implementation of "one store, one code" for 98 catering businesses in Changsha, achieving integration of supply, procurement, use, and management.

Hunan also fully leveraged the exemplary and leading role of catering industry associations and chain catering units, organizing provincial training and publicity sessions on promoting and using "food safety seals," effectively enhancing all parties' awareness of them. Additionally, it guided platforms such as Meituan to strengthen internal management, actively distribute seals, and release usage tutorials, ensuring consumers' right to choose is protected.

These series of solid and effective measures have vigorously advanced the promotion and implementation of "food safety seals," helping to further accelerate the formation of a consumer consensus of "no seal, no sale; no seal, no delivery; no seal, no acceptance," and creating a safer and more reassuring consumption environment for online catering takeout.

Sealed with a "food safety seal," takeout can be consumed with peace of mind. A relevant official from the market regulation authority stated that the next steps will involve strengthening collaborative governance, strictly enforcing standards and supervision, deepening technological applications, innovating promotional guidance, and improving long-term mechanisms. This will ensure that "food safety seals" truly become a "reassurance lock" for takeout food safety, continuously enhancing the public's sense of security, gain, and satisfaction in online catering consumption.

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn