On January 1, departments of quality and technical supervision at all levels, under the unified organization of AQSIQ, will launch another round of nation-wide crackdown on activities concerning unlicensed production and sales of 28 categories of food products, and sales or use of such food produced without licenses in operations, with focus laid on activities related to unlicensed production and sales of food, said an announcement issued by AQSIQ on December 28, 2007.  

According to the announcement, law-enforcement inspectors will attach great importance to inspection of enterprises engaged in production and marketing activities without obtaining related food production license. It's required that the inspection shall urge and help enterprises without production license but have certain capabilities to receive the license as soon as possible by upgrading their production conditions, and meanwhile, ban those without appropriate conditions to ensure food quality and safety from continuing sales of food. The renewed crackdown targets the following categories of food: wheat flour, rice, edible vegetable oil, soy-bean sauce, vinegar, meat, milk and dairy products, beverage, seasoning(sugar and gourmet powder), instant noodles, biscuit, canned food, freezing drinks, fast-frozen flour and rice products, puffed food, sugar products, tea(including tea for border sales), wine and fruit wine, beer, millet wine, pickles,  preserved fruit, roasted seeds and nuts, egg and egg products, cocoa, roasted coffee, aquatic products, starch and starch products. Crackdown on unlicensed production of these categories of food above shall be continued constantly in strict accordance with the requirements specified in related documents issued by AQSIQ. In addition, From January 1, 2008, food categories including pastries and bean products newly included in the market access management shall not be produced if the enterprises do not obtain production license.

As for the food products newly included in the market access management, if they are qualified ones produced prior to January 1, 2008(date of manufacturing), still can be sold before the expiry date, no matter they bear QS mark or not.

The move will be carried out in two phases. Phase 1(January 1-late March) is the transitional period for rectification. During this period, departments of quality and technical supervision at all levels shall combine the strength of related departments to concentrate on inspection of such food products as pastries and bean products, which are within the 28 categories supplied to urban residents and newly included in market access management. Activities concerning production and sales of the related products without license will be banned and those already on shelves shall be pulled. Phase 2(April 1-  ) is the period for strict law-enforcement. In this period, for such food products as pastries and bean products which are within the 28 categories supplied to urban residents and newly included in market access management, violations concerning production activities without license, production of shoddy and counterfeit products, making of fake food production license or falsely making use of others' license, and forging QS mark or serial number of food production license, shall be severely punished in accordance with law. In case of severe violations of laws, the license already granted to enterprises will be revoked; enterprises that have applied for the license shall not pass verifications and be reported to departments of industry and commerce, and health; those that have neither hygiene permit nor operation license but engaged in unlicensed production will be reported to the local governmental departments and closed down. In addition, if it's found that users and distributors purchase food products from unlicensed enterprises, the departments of quality and technical supervision will work with the related departments to carry out investigation and punish the manufacturing and processing enterprises.

As there are a great number of enterprises in various regions for production of the 28 categories of food, departments of quality and technical supervision shall, in the principle of classified supervision and phased implementation, carry out the crackdown earnestly, steadily and effectively under the prerequisite of ensuring food quality and safety, and meanwhile, strengthen publicity, education and guidance, working in close cooperation with the local government and related departments to carry out stringent supervision on food producing and processing enterprises that are permitted to launch their food products mainly on rural market in line with the restrictions on market scope.