China to tighten oversight of food delivery platforms to curb 'ghost kitchens'

(ECNS) - China will introduce new rules requiring food delivery platforms to verify restaurant identities, licenses and operating addresses in a bid to crack down on "ghost kitchens," regulators said, with the measures set to take effect in June this year, according to media reports.

The regulation, issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), aims to strengthen oversight of online catering services and ensure that restaurants listed on delivery platforms are legitimate and traceable.

At a recent press briefing, SAMR food safety director Sun Huichuan said the new rules establish requirements covering merchant identity, business operations, and food preparation, while also requiring platforms to disclose key information about restaurants to consumers.

"The regulation sets out institutional arrangements across three core areas: business identity, operating model and processing procedures," Sun said, adding that platforms must make merchant information public and verify their operating licenses.

Officials said the move specifically targets "ghost kitchens," a term used to describe delivery vendors that operate without proper licenses, fixed premises, or authentic registration details.

Yu Lu, director of the catering food supervision department at SAMR, said such operators had disrupted market order and undermined public confidence in food safety.

To address this issue, the regulators will now require platforms to conduct real-name registration of merchants and verify their food business permits, including through on-site checks where necessary. Platforms must also cross-check license information with provincial market-regulation databases.

Under the new rules, platforms will be further required to update and verify merchants' addresses and licenses at least every six months.

Restaurants that operate exclusively through delivery and do not offer dine-in services must clearly state this on their platform pages, while merchants are encouraged to make their food preparation processes visible through "internet-enabled open kitchens," according to regulators.

The regulation also sets out mechanisms for information sharing and enforcement cooperation among market regulators across regions to address the challenges posed by online businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions.

(By Zhang Jiahao)