More supervision of online food sellers urged

The Guangdong Administration for Industry and Commerce has promised to proceed with registering online shop keepers' real names in response to a college professor's complaint that online sales of food are not being supervised enough.

Lin Yong, dean of South China Normal University's school of economics and management and a member of the provincial committee of political consultative conference, recently said current laws and regulations only require conventional sellers of food to take specific examinations and acquire food circulation permits before starting their businesses.

"There are no such laws and regulations for online food shops," Lin told Yangcheng Evening News. "Some online shop owners may use the loophole in supervision to sell substandard foods."

Lin advised the government to register the real names of every owner of an online food shop.

Yangcheng Evening News reported that the Guangdong Administration for Industry and Commerce has promised to introduce a package of regulations concerning online food sellers as soon as possible. Beyond the registration of real names, the government will encourage online shops to be registered with the administration and obtain legal business licenses.

Meanwhile, the government will require operators of shopping websites to take examinations and make regular reports to local administrations of industry and commerce.

The provincial administration for industry and commerce will also urge government departments to enact laws and regulations specifically for online food shops, Yangcheng Evening News reported.