On 2 february, the chinese government informed the chinese health insurance supervisory board that, in collaboration with the food safety committee office of the state council and the national food and drug regulatory authority, the china food safety supervisory board had recently issued a " guidance on the development of pilot food safety insurance (hereinafter referred to as the " guidance " ), marking the initial establishment of our food safety liability insurance system, which will be launched nationwide. The guidance incorporates the pilot food safety liability insurance into the local food safety performance appraisal system, the enterprise coverage will also be incorporated into the enterprise credit records and classification management indicator system, and insured enterprises will have priority access to industry-specific support and government support policies。
It is understood that food safety liability insurance is a commonly used mechanism for food safety management in developed countries and regions. The state council's opinions on accelerating the development of modern insurance services also make explicit the requirement to explore the piloting of compulsory liability insurance in such areas as food safety, which is closely related to the public interest. The establishment of a food safety liability insurance system is an important element in accelerating the development of modern insurance services. It is an important expression of the implementation of the decisions of the central party, the state council, to carry out comprehensive reforms and to strengthen food safety. It is important to safeguard and improve the lives of the people. Pilot food safety and liability insurance programmes have helped to improve the system of social governance, as well as the role of insurance in resolving disputes over food safety, using economic leverage and diversified products to resolve disputes over civil liability for food safety; risk management and financial compensation for insurance, improving the level of food safety prevention and rescue and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of consumers; promoting the transfer of risks from food production enterprises, improving the quality of their products and promoting the upgrading of economic efficiency; and accelerating the transformation of government functions, optimizing food safety regulations, addressing food safety issues in a coordinated manner and promoting social control of food safety。
The guidance requires that the importance and positive impact of food safety liability insurance be fully recognized at the local level, that the risk control and social management functions of the insurance be fully utilized in conjunction with the practical implementation of the food safety liability insurance pilot, that incentives and risk prevention and control mechanisms for government, insurance agencies, enterprises, consumers, and multi-stakeholder, interactive and win-win schemes be explored, and that experience be gained for the full implementation of food safety liability insurance schemes. The first food enterprises to be included in the pilot focus are: meat products, cooking oil, alcohol, health-care foods, infant and child formulas, liquid milk, soft drinks, pastry, etc. At the food production and processing stage; collective food distribution units at the food chain, catering chains, school canteens, online food-trading third-party platforms, etc.; and local-specific industries and areas with a high incidence of food safety accidents。
The guidance calls for enhanced data analysis and sharing in relevant sectors, the establishment of a food safety risk rating system, the incorporation of enterprise safety management ratings, credit records, industry risk differences, historical losses, etc. Into tariff adjustment factors, and the use of tariff leverage to improve enterprise safety management。
Prior to the issuance of the guidance, china's superintendence of health insurance, which was responsible for gay presentations, had pioneered the local pilot of food safety and liability insurance, led by the government, in zhejiang and shanghai. As a next step, the china insurance and safety board will work with the relevant departments to establish joint work mechanisms, refine its work programme, encourage and guide insurance companies in their efforts to cover claims, prevent disasters and damage, actively participate in food safety governance and promote multisectoral cooperation, strengthen data, information-sharing, expand information and guidance, and promote the legislative process, so that food safety insurance can play a better role in safeguarding consumer rights and promoting food safety governance。
Responsible editor: zhang dei
