SAMR Issues Provisions on the Supervision and Administration of the Primary Responsibilities for Food Safety Implemented by Chain Catering Enterprises

The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has released the Provisions on the Supervision and Administration of the Primary Responsibilities for Food Safety Implemented by Chain Catering Enterprises (the "Provisions"), with effect from December 1, 2025.

Regarding the regulatory mechanism, the Provisions specify that food safety regulation of the headquarters of chain catering enterprises with more than 10,000 outlets, with 1,000 to 9,999 outlets, and with less than 999 outlets shall fall under the responsibility of the provincial-level, municipal-level, and county-level market regulation authorities, respectively. The Provisions also clarify the overall coordination duties of provincial-level market regulation authorities, requiring them to, in January each year, determine the headquarters of chain catering enterprises to be administered by the municipal-level market regulation authorities based on the change in the number of outlets. In terms of legal liability, the Provisions refine the corresponding penalties for violations such as chain catering enterprises' failure to establish food safety management systems as required, failure to appoint food safety management personnel, failure to inspect licenses and certificates of conformity for food purchases, failure to report relevant matters to the market regulation authorities, and shifting of food safety responsibilities that should be borne by the enterprise headquarters, thereby enhancing the binding force of the regulatory rules.



(Source: https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/fgs/art/2025/art_09105249f5984a2fb507e88cd346f20d.html)

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