Fast-food chains must disclose suppliers

The Shanghai Municipal People's Congress recently said a hearing to draft a provision on tracking food safety information will be held on Aug 12. The provision will cover information on grains, meat, poultry, vegetables, dairy products, cooking oil, seafood, wine and liquor, and other food categories that have been approved for sale in the city.

Gu Zhenhua, a food safety expert and vice-president of the Shanghai Municipal Food and Drug Administration, said chain restaurants are obliged to disclose information on their suppliers because consumers are entitled to know where their food comes from.

"Consumers are paying based on their trust in the brands. And brands need to make their foods traceable," said Gu.

Consumers said they expect the requirement to expand to all catering services in the city.

"The Husi scandal impacted consumers' confidence in some food chains, and the measure of disclosing supplier information may help to restore that confidence," said Bai Lingyun, a 34-year-old Shanghai resident.