The first national standards for pre-made dishes are on the horizon. On February 6, the National Health Commission released a draft of the national food safety standards for pre-made dishes, inviting public feedback. The standards focus on defining pre-made dishes from food safety and nutritional health perspectives, specifying their definition, ingredient usage, food additives, production processes, nutritional quality, packaging, labeling, operational procedures, and product indicators.

On the same day, the State Administration for Market Regulation also sought public input on the national standards for terminology and classification of pre-made dishes. These standards define relevant terms and provide classification principles and categories, facilitating differentiated development across various types of pre-made dishes and guiding the industry toward high-quality growth.

Some securities firms noted that the advancement of national standards for pre-made dishes will help streamline industry order, regulate operations and downstream usage, with leading companies expected to benefit from both compliance advantages and market share growth.

The draft standards for pre-made dishes were released for public consultation today. According to reports, the National Health Commission issued the "National Food Safety Standards for Pre-Made Dishes" (draft for comments), seeking feedback from the public.

The primary goals of the food safety standards for pre-made dishes are to safeguard consumer dietary health and standardize the high-quality development of the industry. Key regulations focus on food safety and nutritional health:

First, the standards strengthen management at the source and throughout the process, proposing control measures for potential risk factors and links across the entire chain—from raw materials and production processing to packaging, storage, transportation, and sales.

Second, for finished pre-made dish products, the standards systematically integrate over ten existing general standards such as "Limits of Contaminants in Food," more than ten product standards like "Animal Aquatic Products," over ten process standards including "General Hygiene规范 for Food Production," and over ten standards related to food contact materials and testing methods. This integration establishes safety control indicators for pre-made dishes with different ingredients and processing methods, facilitating implementation by manufacturers.

Key aspects of the draft standards include:

First, a reasonable definition and management scope for pre-made dishes. Based on food safety risk analysis and policy interpretations from six departments, the standards further clarify that pre-made dishes do not include staple foods, pre-washed and cut vegetables, ready-to-eat foods, or dishes prepared by central kitchens. These categories are already managed under other relevant national food safety standards.

Second, enhanced management of food contaminants and additives. The standards impose control requirements for key risk factors such as lead, chromium, benzopyrene, and pathogenic microorganisms in pre-made dishes. They also strengthen the management of food additive usage, specifying principles that prohibit the use of preservatives and encourage minimizing additive use, strictly controlling permissible varieties to ensure additives are only used when necessary.

Third, emphasis on maintaining nutritional quality. The standards require that cooking processes avoid over-processing, utilize advanced technologies or equipment to preserve nutritional components as much as possible, and minimize nutrient loss. They encourage controlling the addition of cooking oil, salt, and sugar during processing. Manufacturers are also required to set reasonable shelf lives considering nutritional quality, among other factors, while ensuring food safety.

Fourth, regulations on consumer guidance. To ensure proper consumption, the standards mandate clear labeling for pre-cooked products and partially or uncooked products, preventing foodborne illnesses from inadequate heating or nutrient and taste degradation from over-heating.

Clarification on excluded categories has been a public focus. The standards define pre-made dishes as pre-packaged meal products made from one or more agricultural products, with or without seasonings, without preservatives, industrially pre-processed (e.g., mixing, marinating, tumbling, shaping, frying, roasting, boiling, steaming), and requiring heating or cooking before consumption.

Excluded categories are staple foods, pre-washed and cut vegetables, ready-to-eat foods, and dishes from central kitchens. Drafting experts explained the exclusions based on several considerations:

Pre-made dishes should have meal characteristics, excluding staple foods, which are regulated under separate standards.

They should feature industrial pre-processing. Pre-washed and cut vegetables, which only undergo cleaning, peeling, and cutting, remain in the raw ingredient category and are excluded, with existing standards applying.

Pre-made dishes must require heating or cooking before consumption, excluding ready-to-eat items like pre-packaged sausages or pickled chicken feet, which have applicable national standards.

They should be pre-packaged products. Central kitchens, which supply only their own chain restaurants, are considered internal processing centers and are excluded (unless they use externally purchased, industrial pre-made dishes). Central kitchens follow catering sector food safety regulations.

The maximum shelf life for pre-made dishes should not exceed 12 months. The standards specify this limit based on consumer habits, product attributes, and industry surveys. Drafting experts noted that while shelf life is typically determined by manufacturers, this standard sets an exception to address public concerns, ensure quality, and balance practical needs. Surveys of over 200 companies and thousands of products informed the 12-month cap, which aligns with public expectations and operational realities.

Securities firms highlight benefits for industry standardization and concentration. Recent reports indicate that the advancement of national standards will help clarify industry order, regulate operations, and benefit leading companies with advantages in R&D, cold chain, quality control, and capital. The short-term catalyst of holiday data and improving trends, combined with long-term industry consolidation, supports optimism for the餐饮 supply chain sector.

Other analysts add that the standards aim to resolve long-standing issues such as vague definitions, safety risks, and lack of transparency, clearly defining the scope to end the混乱 categorization where "everything could be called a pre-made dish." This provides clear boundaries for regulation and production.

The pre-made dish industry has previously been characterized as "large industry, small companies," with small workshops dominating via low-cost, low-standard models. The new standards are expected to catalyze industry reshuffling, fundamentally altering competition. Short-term compliance costs may pressure smaller players, while large companies can leverage scale to absorb costs, creating barriers. Long-term competition will shift from price to factors like supply chain stability, quality control, technology, and brand trust.

Across the产业链, improved standardization will deepen ties between upstream large-scale agricultural suppliers and leading pre-made dish manufacturers, enhancing synergy. Midstream producers with national capacity and advanced freshness-preservation technology will dominate. Downstream, B-end餐饮 clients will prefer compliant, stable suppliers, while C-end market trust will drive brand consolidation, intensifying the Matthew effect.

Specific companies, particularly B-end and C-end supply chain leaders, are poised to benefit from inherent advantages in standardization and supply stability, accelerating client development under the new rules. C-end pre-made dish firms may also gain from enhanced branding and consumer trust, increasing market share.