As the Lunar New Year approaches, the streets of Hohhot in Inner Mongolia are adorned with red lanterns and traditional Chinese knots swaying in the cold wind. For Chinese people, the reunion dinner is not only a feast for the taste buds but also a moment of emotional homecoming. Data provided by the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Market Supervision Administration on the 13th shows that reservations for reunion dinners across the region have reached 30,000 tables this year. Behind this significant number, a quiet operation to safeguard "food safety" is underway.

In Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia, law enforcement officers are guiding catering staff to standardize operations and ensure safe food storage. The supervision of reunion dinners is being carried out with precision. "The reunion dinner is different from ordinary meals; the busier it gets, the more strictly we must implement requirements for ingredient procurement, cleaning and disinfection, and food sample retention," Wang Wenbin, head of the catering department at the Tongliao Market Supervision Administration, reminded restaurants during inspections.

Local regulatory authorities have not only surveyed 112 catering units hosting reunion dinners in the city but also collected detailed data on 501 table reservations, expected to serve 7,440 people. They have implemented dynamic "one-establishment, one-record" management. Additionally, law enforcement officers require catering service providers to display prices prominently, post posters discouraging food waste, guide consumers to order appropriate portions, and enforce the use of communal chopsticks and spoons to ensure diners feel more at ease.

To safeguard these 30,000 reunion dinners, regulatory measures across Inner Mongolia are being quietly upgraded, combining professionalism with technological innovation. In the regional capital, Hohhot, a "special task force" composed of autonomous region-level food safety experts is conducting direct, unannounced inspections. Their approach involves "no prior notice, no advance warnings, going straight to the grassroots, and inspecting sites directly," specifically targeting areas that might be overlooked during routine checks.

At the same time, technology is making supervision more transparent. Relying on the "Sunshine Food Supervision Platform," law enforcement officers can conduct online inspections of restaurant kitchens. Through cameras, the standardization of chefs' operations and kitchen cleanliness are clearly visible. This "cloud-based" monitoring allows food safety supervision to operate beyond the constraints of time and space, enabling round-the-clock vigilance.

Beyond the clinking glasses in restaurants, the festive atmosphere of the New Year fills many households' kitchens. Early morning agricultural markets are among the first places in the city to come alive. At the Meitong Agricultural Market in Hohhot, citizens flock to purchase ingredients for the holiday. For ordinary people, feeling assured about their purchases depends not only on the freshness of the vegetables but also on the accuracy of the scales. "I used to worry about meat being injected with water or short-weighted, but now, seeing inspections in place, I feel much more secure," said Ms. Wang, a local resident.

It is reported that Inner Mongolia’s regulatory authorities are conducting daily inspections and checks at 180 wholesale and retail agricultural markets across the region this year, adopting a zero-tolerance policy toward "short-weighting" and "measurement cheating."

The Spring Festival is a time for family reunions, but for market regulators, it is often their busiest period. Wu Zhenqing, Party Secretary and Director of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Market Supervision Administration, stated, "The entire market supervision system in the region will maintain a constant sense of responsibility, continuously increase inspection efforts, and strictly and swiftly address illegal activities, using our 'dedication index' to enhance the public's 'happiness index.'"