SAMR Directs 8 Companies to Launch Special Campaign Targeting False Food Labeling and Other Issues

As reported today, online food trade, as an emerging business model, has become a significant channel for food sales. However, this sector involves numerous entities, features long supply chains, and presents widespread and diverse risks. Issues such as false advertising and counterfeit products have become increasingly prominent online in recent years. To strengthen the supervision and management of online food sales, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has directed eight third-party online food trading platform companies, including JD.com and Meituan, to initiate a specialized campaign addressing problems like false online food advertising. This campaign aims to create a safe, reliable, and trustworthy online food consumption environment by urging platform enterprises to fulfill their primary responsibility for food safety, leveraging their advantages in agreement rules, data algorithms, etc., and implementing "using the internet to govern the internet."

SAMR will guide the platform companies to, according to relevant rules, urge online merchants, live streaming rooms,带货主播 (hosts), and other practitioners to conduct self-inspections and rectifications regarding product information disclosure, advertisements, marketing rhetoric, and other content. Platforms are required to perform comprehensive screenings and targeted governance through methods like information monitoring and online patrols. Upon identifying issues such as false advertising, platforms must promptly take actions such as delisting products, restricting traffic/halting streams, suspending operations for rectification, or removing stores, and report these to market regulatory authorities.

Currently, eight third-party online food trading platform companies—JD.com, Meituan, Pinduoduo, Douyin Mall, Xiaohongshu, Taobao Tmall, WeChat Shops, and Kuaishou E-commerce—are participating in this special campaign. Each platform will focus on four prominent types of issues: false food labeling, exaggerated product efficacy, brand imitation/confusion, and false commercial advertising. Based on the distinct characteristics of online food sales through webpages, live streams, and social media, they will specify and publish detailed governance content and typical examples of violations.

SAMR will intensify efforts in sampling inspections, online monitoring, and random checks. Platform enterprises with poor governance performance or numerous issues will face administrative guidance and public summons for talks in accordance with the law.