CHONGQING – Restaurants in southwest Chongqing will soon have to inform customers how their meals are prepared, down to the exact parts of livestock used, including the ingredients used.

They will also need to disclose whether their meals contain pre-cooked items and describe flavor profiles and portion sizes. Pre-cooked items include ready-to-eat meals that only need to be quickly reheated before consumption.

The new industry standards, the first of their kind in China, aim to improve food safety standards and protect consumer rights, according to an official statement on the Chongqing municipal government website on October 19.

City officials are working to ensure the industry complies with the new rules by contacting restaurants and eateries to help compile information. The statement stated that new information will be added to physical menus and online distribution platforms over time. A date has not yet been given for the new guide to be implemented.

Chongqing officials said the rules would prevent cooks from using banned ingredients such as lymphatic meat instead of pork belly.

Lymphatic meat, which includes fatty tumors, thyroid glands and lymph nodes, is considered a cheap and low-quality meat in China. Restaurants across the country are reportedly replacing the more expensive pork with lymphatic meat.

Customers are “increasingly focusing on the ‘wok taste’ of food and are particularly concerned about whether the food is cooked on-site,” officials said in the statement.

“Clearly stating basic information, such as food preparation methods and whether pre-prepared meals are used, helps ensure consumer rights,” he added.

Chongqing’s move is part of nationwide efforts to double food safety standards as the central government promotes the food and beverage (F&B) sector at a time when overall domestic demand is weak.

Food and Beverage has been a bright spot in China’s slowing economy; The industry’s revenue increased by 6.2 percent to 3.94 trillion yuan (S$728 billion) in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

Local authorities across China are limiting food safety violations with measures such as increasing inspections and even appointing delivery drivers as whistleblowers.

A two-week operation in Beijing’s Dongcheng district that ended on October 30 uncovered 13 cases of restaurateurs selling spoiled food, poorly disinfected utensils, and cross-contamination between raw and cooked food.

In southwestern China’s Guangxi autonomous region, checks are being carried out on “all food production and commercial establishments in the region” as part of an inspection campaign until the end of 2024, authorities said.