The Linze County of Zhangye City in Gansu Province has ramped up efforts to tackle food safety issues in the online dining sector this year. By pooling enforcement resources and introducing innovative oversight methods, the county has rolled out a "four-chain closed-loop" approach built on a high-level responsibility chain, a dual-track inspection chain, a collaborative social governance chain, and a robust long-term institutional chain. This initiative is designed to give residents confidence in ordering and peace of mind when eating.
The high-level responsibility chain is being tightened under the direct leadership of the county's disciplinary inspection and supervision committee, which has set up a dedicated oversight team to conduct routine inspections and push for accountability. A separate working group, headed by the county government's deputy leader, brings together resources from market regulation and public security departments, with detailed task lists and clear duties. This setup ensures that business progress and work-style supervision move forward together in tandem. High-frequency discussions at the county party standing committee and government executive meetings, regular scheduling by leaders in charge, and multiple special sessions to refine implementation have all contributed to a coordinated crackdown that guarantees tasks are executed with precision and tangible results.
The dual-track inspection chain combines online and offline efforts. Online, the "Longshang Food Safety" platform and food delivery management systems are used to identify and rectify 21 issues, such as expired licenses, mismatched addresses, and missing information among online merchants, tightening the entry standards for online dining. Offline, the scope includes 219 online restaurants, 34 food distribution units, and 29 pharmaceutical and medical device operators, with a special focus on 13 monthly trending restaurants. Routine checks are conducted on 267 low-risk businesses, and a "one household, one file" dynamic ledger has been established. This has led to the closure of 611 hidden dangers and the filing of 16 cases for investigation.
The social governance chain has been activated by requiring all online dining operators to fully integrate with the "Internet + Bright Kitchen, Open Stove" system and consistently promoting the "food safety seal" protection initiative. Ten food delivery riders serving as social supervisors act as "mobile sentinels," reporting issues like substandard packaging through the "Food Safety Mirror • Delivery" WeChat mini-program, which has resulted in 4 reports of violations. Additionally, 26 complaints and reports related to online dining have been processed through the "12315" and "12345" hotlines. Regular "random restaurant checks" are conducted, with four issues of a "red and black list" published and nine typical cases exposed. Four businesses on the "black list" have faced restricted traffic, fostering a collaborative governance model where public participation, social oversight, and industry self-regulation are gradually taking shape.
The long-term institutional chain is being fortified through enhanced communication and consultation with disciplinary inspection, supervision, and public security agencies, consolidating a closed-loop process of "discovery, transfer, investigation, and feedback." Six regulatory systems, including the "Institutional Framework for Periodic Risk Analysis, Consultation, Information Sharing, and Administrative-Criminal Linkage in Online Food Safety," have been improved. Food delivery platforms have been guided to revise over 40 internal control systems, such as the "Online Dining Food Safety Management Standards." Platform leaders and riders have been collectively summoned on three occasions, with 280 "Food and Drug Safety Agreements" signed with online operators and 47 "Delivery Safety Agreements" with riders. These measures comprehensively reinforce safety responsibilities across all links, promoting lasting and effective food safety in the online dining sector.