Summary
- In March 2024, six government bodies of China, including the State Administration for Market Regulation, jointly issued the “Notice on Strengthening the Food Safety Supervision of Pre-cooked Dishes to Promote the High-quality Development of the Industry". It is for the first time a clear definition of pre-cooked dishes is provided, stipulating the scope of food products covered by the definition, and it is meant to strengthen the food safety supervision of pre-cooked dishes;
- The Notice stipulates that no preservatives can be added to pre-cooked dishes and the use of food additives in pre-cooked dishes is strictly regulated;
- Law No. 5/2013 “Food Safety Law" of the Macao SAR and the published series of food safety standards are applicable to pre-cooked dishes. In addition, the food sector has the responsibility to ensure that the food products supplied or provided are in good hygiene condition and are safe and fit for human consumption;
- The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) carried out a “Targeted Food Research and Surveillance of Commercially Available Pre-cooked Dishes" in the second quarter of 2024, where samples of pre-cooked dishes sold in Macao were tested for presence of food additives, heavy metals, plasticisers and prohibited substances, among others. All the samples passed the tests;
- IAM has published the “Guidelines for the Trade on the Use and Production of Pre-cooked Dishes", for the reference of the food sector of Macao;
- The food sector should pay attention to the use of food grade materials for packaging pre-cooked dishes, and select the type of packaging materials or containers appropriate to the characteristics, properties, required storage temperature, pH value, and fat and oil content of the pre-cooked dishes, in order to prevent food contamination. Moreover, the packaging of pre-cooked dishes must be affixed with a food label and detailed instructions for consumption, so that consumers can use or consume them correctly;
- When handling pre-cooked dishes, members of the public should follow the instructions and methods of consumption provided on their packaging to handle them correctly and cook the food ingredients thoroughly. Before heating any pre-cooked dishes, pay attention to whether any of their packaging materials cannot be exposed to heat, so as to avoid increasing the risk of plasticiser contamination.
Introduction
Along with the increasing pace of urban living over recent years and increased sophistication in food production, pre-cooked dishes have gained popularity among consumers and in the catering sector since they are convenient for quick reheating and fast serving. Pre-cooked dishes are able to satisfy the market's demand for efficiency and quality, bringing convenience to consumers.
With the gradual increase in market scale of pre-cooked dishes in the Mainland and neighbouring regions, Macao's food sector has taken advantage of the growing trends and commenced to produce pre-cooked dishes locally. Nevertheless, issues like the hygiene condition, food safety and nutritional value of pre-cooked dishes have brought increasing concerns of the community and consumers. For instance, in the “315 Show", a programme recently broadcast by China Central Television (CCTV), it exposed some unscrupulous businesses made use of pork jowl meat (meat with lymph nodes) to manufacture braised pork belly with pickled vegetable, which called the attention to the food safety supervision of this kind of pre-cooked dishes. Other concerns are about the use of preservatives and food additives in pre-cooked dishes, and parents' doubts and concerns over the serving of pre-cooked dishes in schools and their nutritional value.
Definition, scope of coverage and regulation of pre-cooked dishes
To let consumers be well-informed and rest assured of what they eat, while promoting the regulated and robust development of the industry of pre-cooked dishes, six government bodies of China, including the State Administration for Market Regulation, have jointly issued the “Notice on Strengthening the Food Safety Supervision of Pre-cooked Dishes to Promote the High-quality Development of the Industry" in March 2024. It is for the first time a clear definition of pre-cooked dishes is provided, stipulating the scope of food products covered by the definition. The Notice raises the threshold of entry for the production enterprises, strengthens the food safety supervision of pre-cooked dishes, and provides instructions for establishing a system with food safety and quality standards applicable to pre-cooked dishes.
The Notice states that pre-cooked dishes should have the characteristics of being pre-made and those specific to food dishes, and their production and processing have to meet the requirements for scale, standard, cleanliness and regulation. At present, the industry uses food preservation methods, like freezing and refrigeration, and post-processing technologies, such as sterilisation, to preserve and extend the shelf life of pre-cooked dishes, making it no longer necessary to add preservatives to pre-cooked dishes. In this respect, the Notice stipulates that preservatives shall not be added to pre-cooked dishes, and the use of food additives shall be strictly regulated. In addition, the quality control, production, sealed packaging, storage, and transportation of pre-cooked dishes and their raw materials must be subject to more stringent quality management, to ensure that the safety and nutritional value of pre-cooked dishes can satisfy consumers' expectations.
Risks of consuming pre-cooked dishes
There are many factors affecting the safety of pre-cooked dishes, such as food ingredients, environment, processing methods, and human practices, which can lead to microbial contamination, heavy metal contamination, presence of residues of pesticides and veterinary drugs, contamination with foreign matter, and illegal use of food additives. With regard to the risks to food safety caused by contamination of raw materials of pre-cooked dishes during their handling, processing and other stages of production, it is often associated with exposure of the raw materials to heavy metals or other residues from the natural environment or during their various production and processing stages. Moreover, the improper use of food additives such as preservatives, and use of prohibited substances by some food manufacturers for purpose of food preservation, maintaining the freshness of food products and enhancing their visual appeal, increases food safety risks. In addition, findings from the investigations conducted by IAM revealed that some of the commercially available pre-cooked dishes in Macao are in plastic packaging or sold in plastic containers. Thus, it cannot be ruled out that improper heating or other preparations may increase the risk of plasticiser contamination of food. In view of this, IAM carried out a “Targeted Food Research and Surveillance of Commercially Available Pre-cooked Dishes in Macao".
Regulatory aspects concerning pre-cooked dishes in the Macao SAR
In accordance with Law No. 5/2013 “Food Safety Law" of the Macao SAR, the food sector has the responsibility to ensure the food products supplied or provided are in good hygiene condition and are safe and fit for human consumption, and the food products and raw materials they sell must meet the published and implemented series of food safety standards. In addition, the Food Safety Law is also applicable to pre-cooked dishes.
In regard to ensuring food safety and hygiene, IAM conducts routine food surveillance, sampling inspection of seasonal food products, and sampling inspection of food products for targeted food surveillance. It has set up a monitoring system for information on food safety, enabling it to collect and analyse food safety information from around the world on a continuous basis, and monitor the safety of food products sold in the local market. When a food product is found to pose risks to food safety, IAM adopts necessary preventive and control measures to prevent the risks from spreading. It also issues press releases in a timely manner to keep the public well-informed, so as to safeguard food safety in Macao.
IAM conducted a “Targeted Food Research and Surveillance of Commercially Available Pre-cooked Dishes" in the second quarter of 2024 to gain better understanding about the safety of pre-cooked dishes commercially available in Macao. 90 samples of pre-cooked dishes, including salt-baked chicken, fish with pickled vegetable, and crayfish, were collected from the local market and tested for presence of food additives, heavy metals, plasticisers, and prohibited substances. After analytical assessment, no abnormalities were found in the testing results and no plasticisers or prohibited colouring agents were detected in any samples. (Figure 1 - 2)
In addition, IAM has published the “Guidelines for the Trade on the Use and Production of Pre-cooked Dishes" to remind food producers and operators in Macao to pay attention to food safety and hygiene during the use or production of pre-cooked dishes, so as to reduce the risk of foodborne disease outbreaks. The Guidelines can be found on the dedicated webpage of Trade Guidelines on the website of Food Safety Information.
Advice to food sector
- Purchase food ingredients from reputable suppliers, and never purchase food ingredients of unknown origin or those which should, but have not, subject to mandatory inspection;
- Pay attention to the required conditions and temperature for the production, storage, transportation, and sales of pre-cooked dishes. Observe strict personal hygiene, keep the environment clean, and regularly monitor the temperature of frozen and refrigerated food;
- Use food grade materials for packaging pre-cooked dishes, and select the type of packaging materials or containers appropriate to the characteristics, properties, required storage temperature, pH value, and fat and oil content of the pre-cooked dishes, to eliminate possible migration of plasticisers, heavy metals, and other substances into the pre-cooked dishes, causing food contamination. Moreover, the packaging must be affixed with a food label (indicating the food ingredients, storage methods, expiration date, among others) and provided with clear instructions for use and consumption, including duration of heating and cooking methods, so that consumers can refer to and use the product correctly;
- If there are any doubts about the origin, hygiene condition and quality of a certain food product, do not buy, sell or supply it;
- The sector has the obligation to keep records of incoming and outgoing goods, respective receipts, invoices and relevant documents, to facilitate competent authorities in tracing the origin of questionable food products and their distribution, as necessary, and to protect the interests of the sector;
- The sector can refer to the “Guidelines for the Trade on the Use and Production of Pre-cooked Dishes" published by IAM to understand the food safety and hygiene issues which require attention in the production, processing and use of pre-cooked dishes. (Figure 3)
Advice to general public
- During purchase, pay attention to whether the food packaging is intact and the expiration date of food product. Store the purchased food products according to the instructions provided on the food packaging;
- When handling a pre-cooked dish, follow the instructions and methods of consumption provided on the packaging to cook the food correctly, including the heating time, methods of cooking, etc., so that the food ingredients are thoroughly cooked;
- Since some of the pre-cooked dishes are vacuum-packed in high-temperature-resistant plastic materials, consumers have to pay attention to whether the plastic packaging material is suitable for heating, and follow the instructions (e.g. recommended heating temperature and heating duration) provided on the food label for heating the pre-cooked dishes, so to avoid increasing the risk of plasticiser contamination;
- Some of the commercially available pre-cooked dishes are high in sodium, and in fat and oil content. It is advisable to consume them in moderation and maintain a balanced diet;
- If the food is spoiled, has an unpleasant smell or looks mouldy, do not buy nor consume it.
References
1. Six government bodies jointly issued a document to clarify the definition of pre-cooked dishes and the scope of food products covered by the definition, which is crucial to securing food safety. (Central People's Government of PRC) 22 March 2024
https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/202403/content_6940831.htm
2. “Notice on Strengthening the Food Safety Supervision of Pre-cooked Dishes to Promote the High-quality Development of the Industry". (State Administration for Market Regulation) 21 March 2024
https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/spscs/art/2024/art_e1ba9385be204186adc0f2cfef717693.html
3. The heads of the State Administration for Market Regulation and relevant departments and bureaus responded to questions posed by reporters about “Notice on Strengthening the Food Safety Supervision of Pre-cooked Dishes to Promote the High-quality Development of the Industry". (State Administration for Market Regulation) 21 March 2024
https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/xwxcs/art/2024/art_0689017d44944810a6300f3d3da33a4b.html
4. What do you know about pre-cooked dishes? (Market Supervision Bureau of Jixi City) 18 June 2024
https://www.jixi.gov.cn/jixi/c100097/202406/c06_16c31f97b72a4be28bef56222171f35a.shtml
5. These are what we want to know about pre-cooked dishes. (Macao Consumer Council) 10 November 2023
6. Are pre-cooked dishes a new product of “technology and food additives"? (Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention) 13 October 2023
http://cdcp.gd.gov.cn/jkjy/jkzt/yyyspaq/content/post_4264901.html
BRR 004 DAR 2024