Calls for traceability law to apply to small businesses

Small businesses should be included in Shanghai's first food traceability law, delegates at a hearing said yesterday.

However, while larger food businesses will be expected to record produce details digitally and upload these onto the city traceability database, this is not feasible for small operations, they added.

Instead, options such as keeping receipts are favored.

Deputies to the Shanghai People's Congress — the city's legislative body — resident representatives, food industry figures, law professors and officials from the food and health authorities attended the hearing.

The city is due to pass the law later this year, delegates said.

Food processing companies, meat packing plants, wholesalers, grocery markets, supermarkets, school canteens and larger restaurants will have to establish digital traceability systems.

All the digital data must be uploaded to the city's food traceability information system. Businesses failing to do so could face fines of up to 50,000 yuan (US$8,119) under the draft law.

Lawmaker Xu Liping said small businesses should also be part of the system.

"It is too expensive to build a digital system for a small business, but they can keep all documents and invoices on materials," she said.

In wet markets — which are included — managers will take information from individual vendors and compile the database, said Xia Xiongwei from Guohe Wet Market.

The draft law covers eight types of food, including grain and grain products, meat and meat products, poultry, vegetables, dairy produce, oil, aquatic products and liquor.

Representatives said the law should cover a larger number of foods, including bean products, fruit and drinks.

Xu also said trials should take place as it seemed difficult to trace products, such as vegetable and aquatic produce that are often sold loose.

"Trials are vital to find out what's feasible," she said.