Gov’t considers regulating online food supply

The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) intends to tighten food safety regulations for online food stores.

Currently, the government is implementing a voluntary scheme called the Food Industry Registration Program for online food stores.

According to IACM’s president José Tavares, IACM is aiming to make this program mandatory, requiring all online food stores to be assisted by a physical store.

The change is intended to make the supervision of online food suppliers easier for the government.

In addition, Tavares highlighted that food safety management will be gradually tightened. He expressed his understanding of the public’s worries about online food.

The IACM president also remarked that the government will establish a law to set up mandatory registration.

Upon implementation of the related regulations and laws, food stores will be allowed to operate online businesses only if they also have a physical store.

It is said this measure will assist the city’s food safety center to supervise the food production process, and locate responsible personnel and sites.

Currently, online stores (with or without physical premises), social media or internet users and groups which are involved in the production, supply or sale of food in Macau are required to register. Also required to register are stores (with or without physical premises), social media or internet users or groups which act as shopping agents or provide group-shopping services for food products, and takeaway stores involved in the preparation or sale of food available to the public, including shops which provide homemade beverages, stewed soups and sweet soups, siu mei (roast meat), pastries and bread, snacks, braised foods (e.g. fish balls, beef offal, sour and spicy noodles), chilled desserts, shopping agent services, and other forms of  takeaway food.