China solicits public opinion on national standards for pre-cooked meals

BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday began soliciting public feedback on draft national food safety standards for pre-cooked meals.

Several central government departments, including the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Health Commission, have issued three draft documents on pre-cooked meals.

Pre-cooked meals refer to pre-packaged food servings that must be heated or cooked before eating. They are produced from one or more edible agricultural products and their derivatives through preprocessing. They may contain seasonings but must be free of preservatives, and may be sold with or without separate seasoning packets, according to the draft documents.

The drafts exclude staple foods such as frozen dumplings and buns, fresh-cut vegetables, and ready-to-eat products from the definition of pre-cooked meals.

The shelf life of pre-cooked meals should not exceed 12 months, per the drafts.

Additionally, they encourage catering service providers to indicate their food processing methods to consumers. ■