Domestic hot pot chain restaurant Panda Coming gathered its food suppliers and experts and invited them to a launch meeting in Beijing on Thursday to look for good ingredients for its menu.

The program has received support and recognition from the Chinese Cuisine Association and the China Chain Store and Franchise Association.

It aims to meet the increasing demands of consumers for quality, healthy, diverse and sustainable ingredients.

Panda Coming was founded in 2015 and has established tomato plantations in the Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region and helped cultivate bamboo in high-altitude mountainous areas in Sichuan province.

The pristine environment not only ensured the quality of food supplies but also helped local farmers increase their income.

Yang Liu, president of the Chinese Culinary Association, says the search for good ingredients is the foundation of not only the hot pot industry but also the entire food service industry to provide high-quality products and services to consumers.

“Good ingredients not only give dishes unique flavors and textures, but also ensure the health and safety of consumers,” says Yang.

Wang Hongtao, secretary general of the China Chain Store and Franchise Association, says Panda Coming’s move sets a good reference point for the restaurant industry.

Wang calls for more restaurant businesses to actively participate in the program.

The Hotpot brand has expanded to more than 300 restaurants nationwide. It plans to increase this number to 500 in the next two years.