Beijing starts to issue licenses to catering firms after epidemic-induced closures

BEIJING -- Beijing's market regulator has started to issue licenses to catering firms after mass closures of restaurants amid nationwide coordinated prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The Beijing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation on Tuesday issued a food production license to Xibei Group, a Chinese restaurant chain specialized in northwest Chinese dishes, to allow the company's central kitchen to produce takeout food to consumers.

The electronic certificate was the first food production license issued to a catering firm in Beijing after the epidemic outbreak in January.

The license was given after Xibei submitted an application to the administration with its plan to reform its central kitchen into a food production workshop making ready-to-cook food products and takeout dishes to cater to consumers' demands during the epidemic control, which have helped reduce cross-infections.

The administration has supervised the transformation of the kitchen and prepared guidelines for quality manuals.

The administration said it will carry out continuous supervision, inspection and assistance guidance for food production enterprises that resume work and production. It will increase the frequency of product sampling and monitoring. If any violations are found, their licenses shall be revoked, and the companies concerned shall be blacklisted.