Shanghai issues food safety blacklist

Shanghai's first-ever food safety blacklist was issued on Wednesday and two restaurant managers were banned from the industry for five years, according to the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration.

Restaurant managers Zheng Pin and Yu Zhenjiang were banned for five years from food production on allegations that they were collecting hotpot broth and reselling it to customers.

The two restaurants and 13 individuals were blacklisted, including individuals who processed and sold pigs that died of diseases and sold industrial salt as edible salt. All received criminal penalties.

Shanghai will establish a food safety credit system gradually, and any business that applies for a license and fails inspection will receive a deduction in points. Those with severe violations will be blacklisted, according to the administration.

"Any restaurant, food factory or supermarket on the list will face strict supervision from quality watchdogs and will experience difficulty when applying for loans," said Gu Zhenhua, deputy director of Shanghai Municipal Food Safety Commission Office.