The characteristics, challenges, and opportunities of China’s food safety inspection supervision in the distribution sector

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Concerns about public food safety are comparatively common in the Chinese food distribution industry. A dearth of expertise and scarce resources lead to frequent instances of incapacity and inadequate oversight, which negatively affect stakeholders in the circulation industry. The main challenges to food supervision are the need for more alignment between the technical specifications, comprehensiveness, and continuity of the existing food safety supervision legislation and the real circumstances facing the regulatory agencies. Despite the circulation field’s critical position in food safety regulation, its complex and variable characteristics make it challenging to implement and manage. There exist notable concerns over inadequate food safety standards and supervisory frameworks, vagueness in enforcing rules, and insufficient workforce and technical know-how in food safety supervision. The opportunities for regulating the food business with the government’s focus and attention considerably outweigh the obstacles that lie ahead. The growth of the food business needs to be viewed in the larger framework of the country’s economic development. Professional involvement and collaboration with technical departments can help regulatory bodies tackle non-compliant actions in the market circulation process in a timely way, resulting in a more evidence-based and responsive regulatory approach. Establishing a healthy equilibrium and elucidating the relationship between oversight and the food business will be crucial in the future.