City issues new rules for cooking oil

The Shanghai Food and Drug Administration has issued nine local food safety standards that restrict how long kitchens and restaurants can use cooking oil and how long they can keep partially prepared food and fresh beverages before sale, local media reported Monday.

The standards will take effect on February 1, 2013, according to a report in the Xinmin Evening News.

The local standards require central kitchens to ensure the quality of their cooking oil. If the kitchen lacks the necessary equipment to monitor the quality of the oil in the deep fryers, for example, then workers needs to replace the oil after 12 hours of straight use, or after 72 hours of intermittent use, according to the Xinmin Evening News report.

The kitchens are also required to dispose of the used oil. The standards specifically forbid central kitchens from adding new oil to the used oil to extend its lifespan.

The local standards for takeout food require restaurants and kitchens to cook clean vegetables and partially cooked frozen food within 48 hours after they are packaged. 

The new standards governing fresh beverages stipulate that fresh fruit juice and drinks made from grains and soybeans must be sold immediately after they are made or within two hours if they are stored at temperatures below 10 C.