According to a recent special inspection conducted by the State Administration for Market Regulation, over 200 popular restaurants with high public attention and active online reviews were inspected across 24 major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. The inspection covered various types of dining establishments, such as Chinese restaurants, Western restaurants, hot pot, and barbecue.
The inspection focused on popular dishes, as well as raw ingredients like vegetables, meat, seasonings, and disinfected tableware, with a total of 500 batches sampled. Key tests included pesticide residues in vegetables and livestock meat, food additives in pickled vegetables and noodles, and quality indicators like peroxide values in cooking oil and condiments. During sampling, checks were also conducted on restaurant hygiene, staff health certificates, and food service qualifications.
The results showed that overall food safety conditions in these restaurants were stable. No illegal non-edible substances were detected in hot pot bases, chili powder, or duck blood, and no pathogenic bacteria were found in house-made dishes. However, some issues were identified: excessive pesticide residues like thiamethoxam were found in ginger, scallions, and bean sprouts, with banned pesticide carbofuran detected in scallions at a restaurant in Hubei. Excessive veterinary drug residues, including enrofloxacin, were found in freshwater fish, pork throat, and bullfrogs, with banned malachite green detected in live fish at a Guangdong restaurant. Some hot pot restaurants were suspected of adulterating noodles, with no sweet potato starch detected as labeled. Other issues included improper food storage, kitchen staff not wearing masks or hats, and inadequate refrigeration temperatures. Additionally, some restaurants had tableware with excessive coliform bacteria and synthetic detergent residues, likely due to insufficient disinfection or rinsing.
For non-compliant samples, the administration has instructed local authorities to conduct further investigations, strengthen food safety controls, and ensure businesses uphold their food safety responsibilities.
