Did you notice?
Sometimes buy food online
It's hard to find the ingredient list on the web page
Why should merchants make a list of ingredients
What about secrecy?
The reporter of "China Consumer Daily" conducted an investigation and interview
The ingredient list is not displayed on the detail page
I want to see it and ask customer service
Miss Li, a consumer in Beijing, told reporters that she wanted to buy old Beijing pork fried sauce at the Liubiju flagship store of an online shopping platform, but there was no ingredient list on the product, evaluation, details or recommendation page, so Miss Li had to ask customer service for it. Subsequently, the customer service sent a photo of the product packaging with the ingredient list, which showed that it contained potassium sorbate and other additives. "The most important thing is that there is red sugar and white sugar, my mother has diabetes, and if she didn't take the initiative to ask for the ingredient list, she wouldn't be able to eat it even if she bought it." The reporter logged in to the Liubiju flagship store and asked the customer service why the ingredient list was not displayed on the introduction page, but did not get any reply.
Many stores on online shopping platforms do not display ingredient lists on their product pages. Profile picture
In the Dove chocolate flagship store on another online shopping platform, the reporter saw that Dove bulk chocolate candy showed the nutritional ingredients and taste in detail, but there was no ingredient list. The reporter asked the customer service why he didn't take the initiative to display the ingredient list, and the customer service replied that "we will strive to improve the service in the future, so that you can have a better shopping experience."
The reporter found that many shopping platforms did not clearly indicate the list of food ingredients, and when consumers asked for it, the customer service responded differently, or provided it happily or procrastinated. For example, the official enterprise store of Aliyun Kitchen, a frozen noodle company, provides an ingredient list containing seven or eight additives after covering the name of the company. The reporter found in the ingredient list provided by the customer service of other dealers that there were as many as 12 kinds of additives for another quick-frozen noodle.
The customer service sent an ingredient list that covered the name of the company with his hand. Profile picture
It is difficult to find the ingredient list of online food, and the ingredient list is complained
"Blind" food buying is risky
Zhihu netizen Tatami: "I bought the butter hot pot base, and after receiving the goods, I learned that the second major ingredient was shortening. ”
Ms. Zhu, a consumer in Beijing: "The ingredient list of the soy products I bought was actually attached to the inside of the lid of the foam box. ”
In the investigation, the reporter found that if consumers want to get the ingredient list, in addition to taking the initiative to ask for it from customer service, they can only try their luck to ask questions from netizens who have purchased it or find it from the buyer's show.
Many consumers can only find ingredient list information in the buyer's show. Profile picture
A nutrition expert who did not want to be named told reporters: "The ingredient list has an important reference value for consumers to buy food, especially special foods such as elderly food, diabetes and infant food, and it is potentially dangerous for consumers not to indicate the ingredient list." For example, people with gluten allergies, excessive blood sugar, and excessive uric acid have special requirements for ingredients.
Consumers have the right to be informed in advance
Online sales of non-standard ingredient lists are suspected of infringement
Food sold on online shopping platforms
The ingredient list is not listed on the detail page
Is it compliant?
The Food Business Department of the State Administration for Market Regulation clearly pointed out in its reply to netizens' messages:
The Food Safety Law stipulates that when a food business operator sells bulk food, it shall indicate the name, production date or batch number, shelf life of the food, as well as the name, address and contact information of the producer or operator on the container and outer packaging of the bulk food. In accordance with the principle of consistency of online and offline regulatory requirements, in order to ensure food safety, food business operators should comply with the above provisions regardless of whether they sell food online or offline.
"When consumers buy food online, they should enjoy exactly the same rights and interests as offline purchases, including the right to know in advance." Zhong Kai, director of the Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center, said that although there must be ingredient lists on food packaging, consumers' right to know should be guaranteed before making a purchase decision. Zhong Kai believes that since offline consumption can see the complete packaging information, the shopping platform should also require merchants to display the complete ingredient list and nutrition labels, which should be consistent with offline sales.
Wang Jiucheng, a lawyer at Beijing Li Dao Law Firm, told reporters: "Pre-packaged food provided directly to consumers, whether it is sold online or offline, is only different in marketing channels, as a food business operator should abide by national laws and regulations, and its business activities are consistent with the applicable law." Food business operators shall indicate the ingredient list for pre-packaged food directly provided to consumers. ”
Wang Jiucheng pointed out that the "Food Safety Law" stipulates that the packaging of prepackaged food should be labeled, and the label should indicate the ingredients or ingredient list. Wang Jiucheng believes that the failure of pre-packaged food operators to indicate the ingredient list or ingredients to consumers is suspected of infringing on consumers' right to know, fair trade and choice. In this regard, consumers can complain to the food safety supervision department.
In addition, according to the provisions of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests and the E-Commerce Law, if a consumer purchases goods through an online trading platform and his legitimate rights and interests are harmed, if the online trading platform provider cannot provide the real name, address and effective contact information of the seller, the consumer may also claim compensation from the online trading platform provider. Where an online trading platform provider clearly knows or should know that a seller is using its platform to infringe upon the lawful rights and interests of consumers, but fails to take necessary measures, it shall bear joint and several liability with the seller in accordance with law.
Source: China Consumer Daily