即食食品等四类食品不属于预制菜

Core Viewpoint - The National Health Commission of China has released a draft for public consultation on the national food safety standard for pre-prepared dishes, emphasizing the need for enhanced source and process management, particularly regarding food safety and nutritional health [1]. Group 1: Definition and Scope of Pre-prepared Dishes - Pre-prepared dishes are defined as products made from one or more edible agricultural products and their derivatives, which undergo industrial pre-processing (such as mixing, marinating, rolling, shaping, frying, baking, boiling, steaming, etc.) and are packaged for consumption after heating or cooking [3]. - The standard specifies that four categories of food are excluded from the definition of pre-prepared dishes: staple foods, washed vegetables, ready-to-eat foods, and dishes made in central kitchens [3][5]. Group 2: Rationale for Exclusions - The exclusion of staple foods is based on the characteristic that pre-prepared dishes must exhibit dish-like features [5]. - Washed vegetables are excluded because they only undergo cleaning and peeling, which does not alter their basic properties as raw materials [5]. - Ready-to-eat foods are excluded as they do not require heating or cooking before consumption [5]. - Dishes produced in central kitchens are not included because they are considered internal processing centers for chain restaurants, thus not falling under the management of pre-prepared dishes [5][7]. Group 3: Central Kitchen Regulations - If a central kitchen uses externally purchased, industrial pre-prepared products for its own chain restaurants, it is equivalent to the restaurants directly using pre-prepared dishes for food processing [7]. - Central kitchen self-made products must comply with food safety regulations and standards applicable to the catering sector, such as the "National Food Safety Standard for General Sanitation in Catering Services" [7].