Original Title: “Fresh Food” Sales Areas Prohibit “Freshness Lamps”
Yesterday, the Beijing Market Supervision Bureau issued a warning notice strictly prohibiting the use of “freshness lamps,” requiring operators to strictly prohibit the procurement and use of lighting facilities labeled with terms such as “freshness lamp,” “red-enhancing,” or “beautifying” that can alter the true sensory characteristics of fresh products. Equipping lighting fixtures with or using colored lampshades, colored plastic bags, films, cellophane, and similar materials is also prohibited.
Furthermore, it is recommended that operators of cooked food, pastries, cold dishes, and similar items refer to these regulations and avoid using light sources that affect consumers’ perception of the food’s true sensory characteristics.
According to the “Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Quality and Safety in the Market Sales of Edible Agricultural Products,” the use of lighting or other facilities that significantly alter the true color and other sensory characteristics of edible agricultural products, thereby misleading consumers’ sensory perception of the goods, will result in an order for correction and a warning from the market supervision and administration department at or above the county level; refusal to correct will incur a fine of between 5,000 and 30,000 yuan.
The warning notice requires all market operators and food sales operators to immediately conduct self-inspections and corrections, proactively standardize business practices, and adhere to the baseline of honest operation. Market supervision departments will increase patrol inspections and will strictly investigate and punish according to law any refusal to rectify or violations involving the use of “freshness lamps.”
