"I support seals for takeaways. I used to read the news, and some takeaways were stolen halfway through, so I feel safer if I have a seal." Chen Lin (pseudonym), who often orders takeaways, told the Beijing News Shell Finance reporter.

  On March 1, the "Regulations on Electronic Commerce of Zhejiang Province" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") came into effect.

The "Regulations" stipulate that food delivery businesses should use seals to seal the food they deliver.

If the food delivered by the takeaway business does not use the "takeaway seal", the market supervision department will order the takeaway business to make corrections within a time limit, and businesses that fail to correct within the time limit will be fined between 200 yuan and 500 yuan.

At the same time, for food that does not use the "takeaway seal", the online appointment delivery person has the right to refuse delivery, and the consumer also has the right to refuse to sign for it.

  Previously, in November 2021, the entry "#deliverer suspected of urinating into the lunch box in the elevator" was on the trending search, sparking heated discussions among the public about the packaging specifications for takeaways, and many netizens called for the implementation of takeout tamper-evident labels.

The Beijing News Shell Finance reporter checked relevant information and found that, in fact, as early as 2017, the food delivery platform had promoted "food safety seals" across the country.

In addition to Zhejiang, Shanghai, Ningxia, Tibet, Beijing and many other places have promoted takeaway seals.

However, many businesses and consumers have reported that the implementation situation is different in different places, and the seal of takeout has not been widely used.

  So far, how is the implementation of takeaway seals in Zhejiang Province and other first-tier cities?

What problems did the takeaway seal encounter in the promotion process?

What are the attitudes of merchants, riders, consumers and local governments to take out orders?

legislation

Zhejiang Municipal Bureau of Supervision says legislation has better effect on the landing of takeaway seals

  "After seeing the hot search, our store immediately placed an order for takeout seals, and they could be put into use as soon as the goods arrived." Zhang Yue (pseudonym), a clerk of a snail noodle shop in Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, told Shell Finance reporter that Zhang Yue's office The store is a chain store of a snail powder brand, which has stores in Zhejiang, Shanghai, Beijing and other places.

  On March 1, the "Regulations on Electronic Commerce of Zhejiang Province" (referred to as the "Regulations") came into effect.

In the "Regulations", in the digital governance of online catering, the results of the digital reform of "Zhejiang Takeaway Online" have been upgraded to a regulatory system, and it is stipulated that online catering operators should disclose the food processing site in the form of video in a prominent position on the operator's information page.

At the same time, it is clarified that online catering operators should use seals to seal the delivered food. If the seal is not sealed or the seal is damaged, the delivery person has the right to refuse the delivery, and the consumer has the right to refuse to sign for it.

  Shao Huiqun, deputy director of the Food Safety Supervision and Administration Division of Catering Services of the Zhejiang Provincial Market Supervision Bureau, said in an interview with Shell Finance that since July 2021, Zhejiang Province has vigorously promoted "Sunshine Kitchen" and "Takeaway Seals".

At present, more than 120,000 takeaway merchants in Zhejiang Province have launched "Sunshine Kitchen". Due to the difficult statistical caliber of "takeaway seals" and there is no accurate data, the use of takeaway seals by chain merchants is better than that of small merchants.

  In this regard, Meituan said that at present, Meituan Takeaway is actively responding to the relevant regulations and guidelines of Zhejiang Province, increasing publicity efforts, and guiding takeaway operators to use takeaway seals as soon as possible.

In addition, Meituan will also work with relevant departments to continue participating in offline publicity activities such as "Catering Takeaway Seals" and "Sunshine Kitchen", and distribute free food safety seals on the spot.

  Shao Huiqun said that in the process of promoting the takeaway seal, the main difficulty encountered was that the awareness of small businesses to actively use it was not strong enough.

"Many small businesses have a wait-and-see attitude in the use of takeaway seals, with an attitude of 'the (business) next to me is useless, and I don't need it either."

"This is also the reason why we propose to include the takeaway seal in local legislation, and the implementation of the takeaway seal regulation will have a better effect through mandatory legal restrictions."

  After the implementation of the "Regulations", the municipal supervision bureaus in many places in Zhejiang Province have stepped up law enforcement investigations.

Among them, the Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Supervision randomly inspected 35 take-out catering units on Hedong Road on the morning of March 1, and found that 31 of them have built sunny kitchens and used take-out seals, and only 4 have not yet complied.

In this regard, the Municipal Bureau of Supervision has issued a notice to rectify on the spot, requiring businesses to make corrections within a time limit.

In addition, data from the Yueqing Municipal Bureau of Supervision in Zhejiang Province showed that as of 14:00 on March 1, the city had issued 1,000 "Letters to Online Catering Operators in the City" and 59 "Notices of Ordering Correction".

survey

Can takeaway seals work?

  In November 2021, a delivery boy in Anhui was suspected of urinating in a customer's delivery, which aroused widespread public concern.

According to the surveillance video of the place where the incident occurred, after the takeaway entered the elevator, he was suspected of urinating to the Mala Tang takeout that was being delivered while no one was around.

After netizens broke the news, this matter quickly spread on the Internet, rushed to the forefront of hot searches, and triggered a heated discussion on the standard of take-out packaging. Many netizens called on businesses to use take-out tamper-proof labels when packing.

  Consumer Xiaomiao (pseudonym) believes that although the take-out seal system cannot be 100% safe and hygienic, for consumers, it is already a great improvement in the take-out industry.

Xiaomiao said that since the epidemic, working from home has become the norm, and takeout has gradually become an indispensable part of his life. However, reports such as "takeaways being stolen" and "takeaways spitting on takeaways" frequently appear in the news. Allow yourself to worry.

The promotion of take-out seals can effectively prevent the outer packaging from being manually opened or accidentally damaged during the delivery process. "In this way, the take-out industry can be the same as the express industry, which can be damaged and rejected, which greatly protects the rights and interests of consumers."

  Zhang Yue, an employee of a snail powder shop in Zhejiang, told a reporter from Shell Finance that he had some headaches as a takeaway business.

In his daily work, Zhang Yue occasionally receives complaints from customers that the take-out delivery is not enough, but after checking the packaging and monitoring, he did not find that there was less delivery. In this case, it is usually difficult to tell which link is the problem.

In addition, there are customers who often report that the food is spilled, and it is usually difficult to determine whether it is a problem of the merchant's packaging or the problem of the rider's delivery.

"Having the takeaway seal actually reduces a lot of trouble for our businesses."

Zhang Yue said.

  Meituan rider Wang Cong told Shell Finance reporter that as a rider, what he cares most about every day is how many orders he runs, how much money he earns, and whether he can deliver meals safely on time. The incident of lunchboxurine# is only a very rare case. "There are high-quality and low-quality people in any industry. The promotion of takeaway seals is equivalent to dividing the responsibilities of merchants and riders, and there will be no unnecessary trouble in the middle. It's good for us too."

  Shao Huiqun introduced the four benefits of implementing takeaway seals to Shell Finance reporters.

The first is safety.

For consumers, the takeaway seal can ensure the safety of the food delivery process.

The second is responsibility.

The use of seals can better divide the responsibilities of takeaway merchants and delivery riders. If there is a problem with the meal, the responsibility can be quickly traced to specific links.

Then there is trust building.

The takeaway seal seals the package, avoiding unnecessary speculation, suspicion and even delusion, thereby increasing consumer trust.

The last is to promote consumption.

The seal increases trust and protects safety, and the enthusiasm for consuming takeaway will be stimulated, and the business of merchants and platforms will naturally rise, which is a win-win result.

  Shao Huiqun said that the use of takeaway seals can also force takeaway merchants to standardize the processing and production process to a certain extent and improve food safety management.

cost

How much does a takeaway seal cost?

Will there be an additional "sealing fee" in the future?

  What are the standards for the production of "takeaway seals" that have been vigorously promoted by local municipal bureaus?

How much does it cost?

Who will pay for it?

  Zhejiang Province's "Guidelines for the Standard Use of Food Delivery Seals" (hereinafter referred to as the "Guidelines") stipulates that "takeaway seals" are to ensure food safety in the delivery process and prevent the outer packaging of food delivery from being artificially opened during delivery. Disposable sealed packages taken from accidental damage.

  If you want to achieve "takeaway anti-dismantling", it means that the "takeaway seal" cannot be restored to its original state after dismantling and cannot be reused.

The "Guidelines" emphasize that the material of "takeaway seal" should be based on paper, paper-plastic or plastic film, and must have a certain degree of waterproofness. Simple seals such as staples and transparent glue cannot be used as takeaway seals. In addition, It is also recommended to print signs such as "If the seal is damaged, do not accept it".

  Shao Huiqun mentioned that during the on-site investigation, the Market Supervision Bureau found that the cost of the takeaway seal is not high, and it only takes a few seconds for the merchant to add a seal when packing. The so-called material cost and labor cost are not high, mainly due to awareness The problem is that the initiative is not enough.

  So is there a unified standard for the issuance and use of takeaway seals?

  Meituan said that it has opened the purchase port of food safety seals in some areas, and sells customized seals with full red envelopes. The cost of red envelopes is borne by the platform, and merchants can enjoy discounts when purchasing seals.

  The manager of Yang Guofu Mala Tang in Beijing told Shell Finance reporters that when his store opened last year, it began to use takeaway seals. At first, each store ordered online by itself, but now it is customized by the headquarters and distributed in a centralized manner.

In addition to the custom-made by the takeaway merchants, the local government, Meituan, and Ele.me have also issued free takeaway seals to the merchants, but it is not a long-term supply.

  During the on-site visit, Shell Finance reporters found that there is no uniform standard for the seals used by local takeaway merchants in Beijing. Among them, large chain catering brands such as Burger King mostly use the seals customized by the brand.

  That is to say, at present, the cost of takeaway seals is mostly borne by the takeaway merchants.

A reporter from Shell Finance checked on the e-commerce platform and found that many businesses sell takeaway seals. In addition to the common Meituan and Ele.me logo seals, they also support private customization. for 2 cents).

Among them, there are not a few merchants with monthly sales exceeding 10,000.

  In this regard, a number of takeaway merchants told reporters that the cost of takeout seals is relatively low, and no new "sealing fees" or other forms of packaging fees have been considered at present.

promote

Some chain merchants say that the southern region has a stronger implementation

  According to the incomplete statistics of Shell Finance reporters, in addition to Zhejiang Province, many provinces have also carried out "takeaway seal" promotion activities.

  In August 2019, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Supervision began to promote "food safety seals" in the city, and in September 2020, the local standard "Technical Specifications for Disposable Food Safety Seals Management" and the normative document "Shanghai Catering Takeaway Food" were released. Measures for the Administration of the Use of Seals (for Trial Implementation).

  In June 2021, the Ningxia Yinchuan Municipal Bureau of Supervision and the two food ordering platforms, Meituan and Ele.me, vigorously promoted the "food safety seal" of online takeout in the city. The Yinchuan branches of Meituan and Ele.me also jointly issued The "Proposal on Implementing the Mechanism of "No Signing, No Receiving" Mechanism for Online Takeaway Food Safety Seals" was issued.

In November 2021, the Lhasa Municipal Supervision Bureau of Tibet issued the "Notice on Implementing "Food Safety Seals" to Meituan and Ele.me, and issued a total of 140,000 "Food Safety Seals" to ensure takeaway food. Safety.

  In January 2022, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Supervision issued the "Guidelines for the Management of Catering Safety in Online Catering Services", which requires that takeaway merchants should use takeaway packaging seals or disposable sealing outer packaging bags and other sealing methods, so that the sealing and outer packaging bags are within the Once turned on, it cannot be restored.

Beijing's new rules will be implemented in April.

  In order to visit the promotion of takeaway seals in Beijing, a reporter from Shell Finance randomly interviewed the manager of a beef patty shop in Beijing. The store manager said that he had never used takeaway seals before, and no relevant departments had come to check before, "Maybe in the future. Yes, if the regulatory authorities require it, I will report the situation to our boss."

  Rider Wang Cong (pseudonym), who has been working in takeout delivery in Beijing for more than half a year, revealed to Shell Finance reporters that since he became a Meituan rider in October 2021, takeaway seals have already appeared in the delivered meals, but "seals" Mainly concentrated in stores in shopping malls, or large chain stores, small stores are rare.”

  The manager of a chain noodle store in Beijing told Shell Finance reporters that the company’s southern stores have widely promoted takeout seals, but northern stores such as Beijing have not yet received a notice from the headquarters, and their own stores have not received a notice from the Municipal Supervision Bureau.

"Our stores in the south are doing better, especially the stores in Shanghai and Hangzhou are more strict, but there are no clear regulations for our stores yet."

  Shao Huiqun believes that the specific situation depends on the arrangements of local governments, but "at present, the feedback from consumers is still good, and there may be this trend in the future".

  (Beijing News Shell Finance reporter Chen Weicheng also contributed to this article)

  Beijing News Shell Finance reporter Li Menghan editor Xu Chao proofreads Zhao Lin