Action Plan for Enhancing Dairy Quality and Food Safety

Document No.: Guoshijianshisheng [2020] 195

Issuing Authority: State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR)

Date: 20 December 2020 / Published: 30 December 2020

Implementation Period: 2021–2023

To the market regulation administrations (bureaus, commissions) of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps; and the Food Evaluation Centre of the General Administration:

In order to implement the requirements set forth in the Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Deepening Reform and Strengthening Food Safety Work, the Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Promoting the Revitalisation of the Dairy Industry and Ensuring Dairy Quality and Food Safety, the Notice of the Food Safety Commission of the State Council on Issuing the Key Food Safety Work Arrangements for 2020, and other relevant documents, to further urge enterprises to fulfil their primary responsibilities, enhance the quality and safety of dairy products, and promote the high-quality development of the dairy industry, the State Administration for Market Regulation has formulated the Action Plan for Enhancing Dairy Quality and Food Safety, which is hereby issued to you. Please implement it conscientiously in light of actual conditions.

Action Plan for Enhancing Dairy Quality and Food Safety

In recent years, market regulation departments have thoroughly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, strictly enforced the “Four Strictest” Requirements, prioritised dairy products in food safety regulation efforts, and devoted considerable energy to strengthening quality and safety supervision. As a result, the overall quality and safety of dairy products has improved continuously. Nevertheless, problems remain, including insufficient independent research and development (R&D) capabilities of enterprises, inadequate food safety management capacity, and insufficient product competitiveness and reputation. To advance the revitalisation of the dairy industry in greater depth and enhance the quality and safety of dairy products, this Plan is hereby formulated.

I. Overall Objectives

By 2023, the regulatory legal and standard framework for dairy quality and food safety shall be further improved, and regulatory capacity for dairy quality and food safety shall be substantially enhanced. The rectification rate of problems identified through supervision and inspection shall reach 100 per cent, and the pass rate of dairy products subject to supervisory sampling and testing shall be maintained at 99 per cent or above. The quality and safety management systems of dairy product manufacturers shall be further improved; 100 per cent of large-scale dairy product manufacturers shall implement the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system. The control rate of raw and auxiliary materials, critical links, and product testing by dairy product manufacturers shall reach 100 per cent; the food safety self-inspection rate shall reach 100 per cent; the risk reporting rate upon discovery shall reach 100 per cent; and the pass rate of food safety management personnel subject to supervisory spot-checks and assessments shall reach 100 per cent. The self-inspection and reporting rate of the quality management systems of infant formula milk powder manufacturers shall reach 100 per cent. The proportion of self-built and self-controlled milk sources of dairy product manufacturers shall be further increased; product R&D capabilities shall be further strengthened; the product structure shall be further optimised; production processes shall be further improved; and consumer confidence in dairy products shall be further enhanced.

II. Key Tasks

(A) Strengthening the Development of the Legal and Standards Framework

1. In line with the State Council’s requirements on promoting the revitalisation of the dairy industry and ensuring dairy quality and food safety, actively promote the revision of the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Dairy Quality and Safety, and establish a more scientific and rational regulatory legal framework.
2. Actively cooperate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) and the National Health Commission (NHC) in revising national food safety standards for raw milk, UHT milk, pasteurised milk, and infant formula foods; formulate and improve processing technology standards and testing method standards. Encourage industry associations to develop association standards to elevate dairy safety and quality indicators.
3. Study and revise the detailed rules for the examination of dairy production licences; support enterprises in adopting new technologies and processes to produce new products; encourage enterprises to use raw milk in the production of dairy products; and strengthen the R&D of dried dairy products such as cheese and butter.
4. Organise the development of food safety information recording standards for dairy product manufacturers; urge enterprises to record food safety information truthfully, accurately, and comprehensively with respect to procurement, material input, production, testing, storage, transportation, sales, self-inspection, recall, and other critical links and positions; and promote the establishment of food safety traceability systems by enterprises.

(B) Strengthening the Fulfilment of Primary Responsibility by Enterprises

1. Urge enterprises to strengthen food safety management. The principal responsible persons of dairy enterprises shall enhance their awareness of overall responsibility for food safety work, effectively implement food safety management systems, establish and improve food safety management bodies, establish food safety management positions, and assign professional technical personnel and food safety management personnel, and organise their training and qualification through assessment.
2. Urge enterprises to strengthen whole-process control. Strengthen milk source management; increase the proportion of self-built and self-controlled milk sources; carry out dairy farm audits; strictly manage the use of feed, veterinary drugs, and other inputs in dairy cattle farming; shorten raw milk transportation distances to the greatest extent possible; and implement precise, full-time management of raw milk procurement and transportation. Strengthen the control of raw and auxiliary materials; establish systems for supplier auditing, raw and auxiliary material acceptance and storage management, and disposal of non-conforming raw and auxiliary materials; and strengthen document review of importer qualifications and certificates of conformity for raw and auxiliary materials. Strengthen process management; fully implement Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system; and strengthen control of critical points in the production process, including weighing and input of raw and auxiliary materials, sterilisation, and filling.
3. Urge enterprises to strengthen risk prevention and control. Strengthen food safety self-inspection; regularly inspect and evaluate food safety conditions with respect to product R&D, procurement and storage of raw and auxiliary materials, production conditions, equipment status, product testing, labelling, and production records, and report potential risks of food safety incidents. Infant formula milk powder manufacturers shall also conduct regular self-inspections of the operation of their quality management systems and submit self-inspection reports. Group companies shall conduct regular inspections of their affiliated factories. Encourage enterprises to select professional food safety organisations to conduct third-party inspections and evaluations. Strengthen the handling of food safety emergencies; immediately investigate and analyse problems reflected in supervision and inspection, sampling and monitoring, media reports, and complaints and reports; and promptly eliminate risk hazards. Strengthen food recall exercises; for dairy products already on the market that do not conform to food safety standards or for which there is evidence that they may endanger human health, immediately cease production and sales and implement recalls, promptly inform consumers, and minimise food safety risks to the greatest extent possible.
4. Urge enterprises to strengthen testing and quality control. Strictly implement the obligations to control raw and auxiliary materials and conduct pre-market testing of products; strengthen testing of raw and auxiliary materials, semi-finished products, finished products, and production hygiene conditions. Encourage manufacturers to explore control measures based on product R&D, raw material control, process monitoring, and regular monitoring, and to rationally set microbiological testing items and frequencies for short-shelf-life refrigerated dairy products. Encourage group companies to establish central laboratories to conduct unified testing and quality control for their affiliated dairy factories, thereby improving efficiency, conserving resources, and reducing costs. Infant formula milk powder manufacturers shall conduct comprehensive, batch-by-batch pre-market testing of all testing items in accordance with food safety standards; commissioned testing is prohibited; and testing and monitoring of food safety risk indicators shall be strengthened.
5. Guide enterprises to strengthen innovation and R&D. Strengthen the construction of cold-chain storage and transportation facilities for refrigerated dairy products; develop intelligent logistics; build information-based platforms; integrate end-point distribution and sales networks; monitor storage, transportation, and sales temperatures throughout the entire process to ensure product safety and quality. Increase investment in enterprise informationisation; encourage enterprises to adopt information-based means to establish and improve food safety traceability systems and achieve full-process product traceability. Increase R&D investment; strengthen product innovation; diversify product varieties and improve product quality; optimise processing techniques; expand and strengthen flagship products; and enhance enterprise competitiveness. Encourage group companies to consolidate their technical resources and establish unified R&D departments to carry out scientific and technological innovation independently or through industry-university-research collaboration.

(C) Strengthening Quality and Safety Supervision and Administration

1. Strengthen the licensing review of dairy enterprises. Strengthen training on dairy production licensing review to improve the quality of document review and on-site inspection. Strictly conduct on-site inspections of newly built factories and factories where production conditions have changed; strengthen inspections of production premises, equipment and facilities, equipment layout and process flow, procurement and use management of raw and auxiliary materials, personnel management, and management systems and their implementation; and urge dairy product manufacturers to continuously meet food production licensing conditions. Increase the review efforts for the production licences of infant formula milk powder manufacturers, with a focus on reviewing conformity with the content of product formula registrations, particularly whether equipment, facilities, and production processes applied for in product formula registrations have changed, and reviewing the establishment of enterprise food safety management systems and quality management systems.
2. Strengthen the product formula registration of infant formula milk powder. Revise the Administrative Measures for the Registration of Infant Formula Milk Powder Product Formulae; specify circumstances under which registration shall not be granted; require enterprises to have complete production processes; and prohibit the use of infant formula milk powder that already complies with national food safety standards as a raw material to apply for formula registration. Further strengthen the review of scientific and safety materials and R&D reports for infant formula milk powder product formulae; registration shall not be granted for formulae with insufficient scientific evidence or where submitted materials do not support the scientific validity and safety of the formula. Increase the intensity of on-site inspections and sampling inspections, with a focus on verifying whether applicants possess R&D capabilities, production capabilities, and testing capabilities appropriate to the formulae applied for, as well as the authenticity and consistency of application materials.
3. Strengthen supervision and inspection of dairy enterprises. Prioritise dairy product manufacturers in supervision and inspection; rationally determine inspection frequency based on enterprise risk classification; and focus on inspecting whether incoming goods inspection, raw and auxiliary material usage, product testing records, and labelling comply with regulatory requirements. Establish and improve a systematic inspection regime for infant formula milk powder manufacturers, with a focus on inspecting the establishment and operation of enterprise production quality management systems and production organisation in accordance with formula registration and production licensing requirements. Provincial market regulation departments shall, in principle, carry out at least one systematic inspection annually for infant formula milk powder manufacturers within their jurisdiction; urge enterprises to rectify problems identified during systematic inspections; and guide grassroots-level departments in strengthening routine supervision. Increase the intensity of routine supervision and inspection of dairy product business premises in key areas such as rural areas and urban-rural fringe areas, as well as in supermarkets, wholesale markets, mother-and-baby product stores, and online platforms, with a focus on inspecting incoming goods inspection, product labelling, temperature control and records, as well as dedicated zone and counter sales of infant formula milk powder and whether labels and instructions are consistent with registration approvals.
4. Strengthen sampling, inspection, and monitoring of dairy products. Increase the intensity of sampling inspections and risk monitoring of dairy products; adopt a problem-oriented approach; and strengthen sampling inspections of manufacturers of non-conforming products. Supervision and inspection personnel may, as needed, conduct sampling inspections of raw materials, semi-finished products, and finished products when carrying out supervision and inspection of dairy product manufacturers. Sampling inspections of infant formula milk powder shall be conducted in accordance with the principle of “full coverage of enterprises and testing items,” with monthly sampling inspections of products from all domestic and imported infant formula food manufacturers that have obtained formula registration and are on sale in the distribution sector, and timely publication of sampling inspection results. Increase the intensity of post-sampling inspection and monitoring follow-up actions for dairy products; promptly eliminate food safety risks; urge enterprises to rectify problems identified; and achieve closed-loop food safety management. Strengthen the collection, analysis, and assessment of risk monitoring data; carry out dairy product risk communication; and promptly notify relevant departments of monitoring findings.

III. Principal Measures

(A) Intensifying the Crackdown on Illegal and Non-Compliant Conduct.

Crack down severely on illegal activities such as the use of non-conforming raw and auxiliary materials, illegal addition of non-food substances, abuse of food additives, false and exaggerated promotion, and the production of counterfeit and substandard dairy products. Investigate and punish seriously illegal and non-compliant activities such as repackaging of infant formula milk powder, production of infant formula milk powder without registration or filing as required, or failure to organise production in accordance with registration or filing requirements. Strictly implement the reconstituted milk labelling system; investigate and punish enterprises that use reconstituted milk without proper labelling in accordance with the law. Strictly implement the requirement of “penalties imposed on individuals” in accordance with laws and regulations.

(B) Intensifying Positive Publicity and Guidance.

Regularly release information on dairy product supervisory sampling inspections; and actively publicise the effectiveness of dairy product manufacturing, processing, and quality and safety supervision. Encourage dairy product manufacturers to conduct public open days to disseminate nutritional knowledge about dairy products such as UHT milk, pasteurised milk, cheese, and infant formula milk powder. Encourage news media to report on dairy product quality and safety issues accurately and objectively, and to conduct orderly food safety public opinion supervision.

(C) Actively Promoting Social Co-Governance.

Ensure the smooth operation of complaint and reporting channels; and increase reward levels for reports. Encourage all sectors of society, particularly internal enterprise personnel, the media, and consumers, to report or provide leads on dairy product quality and safety issues, and to expose illegal activities by enterprises. Encourage enterprises to establish internal reward systems for employees who identify food safety hazards. Support industry associations in strengthening industry self-discipline; guide dairy enterprises in consciously safeguarding and standardising market competition order; and give full play to the role of industry associations in integrity-building and science communication.

IV. Implementation Steps

(A) Deployment and Promotion Phase (by end of December 2020).

Provincial market regulation departments shall, in accordance with this Plan and in light of local actual conditions, refine objectives, disaggregate tasks, and formulate and improve work plans. In-depth mobilisation and deployment shall be carried out to unify thinking and understanding. Various forms shall be adopted to strengthen public awareness and create a favourable atmosphere.

(B) In-Depth Promotion Phase (January 2021 to June 2023).

Market regulation departments at all levels shall strengthen supervision and guidance; regularly organise assessments of the progress of work to enhance dairy quality and food safety; promptly analyse new problems, study new situations, and introduce new measures; and advance the initiative to enhance dairy quality and food safety in greater depth.

(C) Summary and Enhancement Phase (July 2023 to December 2023).

Provincial market regulation departments shall, on the basis of fully completing the objectives and tasks of the initiative to enhance dairy quality and food safety, conscientiously summarise work achievements; study recommendations for further enhancing dairy quality and food safety; and explore measures to strengthen the supervision and administration of dairy quality and food safety.

V. Work Requirements

(A) Strengthen Organisational Leadership.

Provincial market regulation departments shall conscientiously analyse the basic situation of dairy quality and food safety in their jurisdictions; understand the characteristics of local dairy industry development; formulate and improve measures to enhance dairy quality and food safety that are better suited to local conditions; further clarify work objectives; rationally disaggregate work tasks; increase the intensity of work promotion; and pay close attention to implementation to ensure that responsibilities, measures, and implementation are all in place.

(B) Strengthen Supervision and Guidance.

Provincial market regulation departments shall strengthen guidance to grassroots-level supervision departments; promote the implementation of territorial supervision responsibilities; ensure that each level holds the next level accountable; and guarantee that all tasks are implemented at every level.

(C) Strengthen Coordinated Cooperation.

Market regulation departments at all levels shall take the initiative to strengthen communication and liaison with agricultural and rural, health, industry and information technology departments and industry organisations; leverage respective strengths; form a synergistic work force; study and resolve problems encountered in implementation; and coordinate the advancement of all tasks.

(D) Strengthen Work Summaries.

Market regulation departments at all levels shall promptly summarise exemplary practices and advanced experience; identify problems and deficiencies in their work; promptly organise phased reviews; analyse causes; formulate measures; and continuously drive the implementation of all tasks. Progress on work implementation shall be reported to the Department of Food Production of the General Administration by the end of December each year.