reading prompt
Since the "food safety seal" was implemented in Beijing for two months, the usage rate has gradually increased, but many takeaway brothers have found that the protection effect is not good. To protect the safety of the tip of the tongue, how should this "lock" for takeaway be put on? Experts believe that it is necessary to cultivate usage habits, promote the further popularization of seal labels, and promote the standardization of seal materials and styles to achieve dual protection for consumers and takeaway brothers.
At noon on June 2, Xu Qiang, the delivery brother, walked out of the store with the food as usual. The buckle of the bag in his hand was firmly entangled with a tape, which read "Please confirm that the seal is intact before signing for it."
On April 1, Beijing officially launched the "Catering Safety Management Specification for Online Catering Services" (hereinafter referred to as the "Specification"), which clearly stipulates that takeaway packaging "should use sealing methods such as takeaway packaging seals that cannot be restored after opening or one-time sealed outer packaging bags" to reduce the risk of food exposure in the delivery process. In Beijing under the epidemic, due to the cancellation of dine-in food, the demand for takeout has surged, and the protective significance of sealing is even more prominent.
Since the implementation of the new regulations two months ago, the reporter found through continuous investigation that the use rate of sealing has been increasing, and now it has reached 90%. However, many of the interviewed takeaway brothers reported that some sealing is a mere formality, and it is difficult to truly achieve anti-tear and anti-replacement. Some sealing labels are of poor quality, scribbled, and even easy to breed new misunderstandings and increase the responsibility of riders.
How can "Food Safety Seal" better protect food safety? Can it achieve dual protection for consumers and takeaway brothers?
90% of merchants "lock" for takeaway
At 6 p.m. on April 3, the reporter saw in a food city in Dongcheng District of Beijing that only one rice noodle restaurant wrapped the lunch box with plastic wrap, and two other stores sealed the handbag with staples. The rest of the merchants did not have sealing measures. In front of a stall, the boss greeted customers who dine in, stuffed the lunch box into a plastic bag, tied two knots hastily, and hurriedly handed it to the takeaway brother. When the reporter asked why the seal was not attached, the other party was a little confused: "It will definitely not spill, don’t worry."
On April 24, the reporter visited the food city again. This time, nearly half of the merchants have started to use seals. A stall owner told the reporter that he received a prompt from the back-end of the platform: "I and the next door together, bought simple rubber strips online, and each one is less than two cents."
On April 30, Beijing pressed the "pause button" for dine-in food. On May 16, the reporter chose a Liangpi store in the above-mentioned food city to place an order, and found that a new sticker had been added to its takeaway packaging bag, which marked "If the seal is damaged, you can reject the meal".
"The seal was gradually rolled out. At the beginning of May, the coverage rate was 60%, and now it can reach 90%." Xu Qiang said that he delivers an average of 60 orders a day, but only a few orders have not been sealed recently, which are basically independent and scattered merchants. "Before the promulgation of the new regulations, small stores were almost not sealed, and recently they have been taking measures one after another. Brand stores pay more attention to image, and they began to customize the seal a few years ago."
In the eyes of Sheng Lin, the delivery brother, the seal is a "double protection" for consumers and delivery brothers. In the past, when the food was different, it was difficult for customers to determine whether the problem was with the merchant or the rider. Once he delivered a roast duck, the customer opened it and found that it was all bones and scraps. After a phone call, he couldn’t argue. "With the seal, you can clarify the responsibility. If the seal is intact, I don’t have to take the blame."
Xu admits that most riders will not mess with the food, but it is not ruled out that some people will pollute the takeaway to vent their anger, which will also tarnish the reputation of the industry. "If the sealing effect is good, it can not only protect food safety, but also rebuild the trust between us and customers."
Different forms of sealing labels allow the effect to be discounted
According to the "Standard Analysis and Implementation Guidelines" issued by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Market Supervision for the "Specification", there is no fixed style of takeaway sealing. As long as the purpose of "unrecoverable after opening" can be achieved, one-time sealing, self-adhesive outer packaging bags, safety cards, staples, sealing tape and other methods can be used.
However, Xu Qiang believes that these methods do not meet the requirements: "Like staples, you can open and reorder." According to his observation, many seals on the market at this stage are "unqualified". "Most merchants who use plastic bags wrap the mouth of the bag with tape, while those who use non-woven bags and kraft paper bags are mostly sealed with staples or stickers. Some tape and stickers have no anti-tear design. If the rider really intends to open them, they can be uncovered and pasted back without leaving a trace."
Xu Qiang found during the delivery process that the best protection is a long strip seal with a serrated gap at one end, which is easy to break if pulled by external force and cannot be removed completely. "This seal only accounts for 10%, and you can encounter four or five orders every day."
However, even if the seal is properly designed, it does not mean that it is foolproof. Wang Huaiji, the delivery brother, told reporters that when he was picking up the meal, he saw that a colleague accidentally broke the seal and asked a familiar merchant for a new one. The other party handed him one without saying a word.
The reporter noticed that most of the small store seals are purchased from e-commerce platforms, with similar styles and no store icons on them. If they are replaced halfway, consumers cannot distinguish "whether they are original".
Although he felt it was inappropriate, Wang Huaiji did not warn him, because he himself had broken the seal. "During peak periods, I often have to carry seven or eight takeaways in one hand, and sometimes I accidentally remove the seal, especially those with thin materials and weak stickers." After that, in order to avoid misunderstandings, he had to sacrifice part of the delivery efficiency and carefully take care of the takeaways.
A few days ago, when Sheng Lin took a tote bag out of the delivery box, he found that the stickers glued to both sides of the opening were wet with water vapor and cracked from the middle. He awkwardly explained to the customer, but the other party didn’t care at all, which made him feel complicated: "The merchant posted it sloppily, and the customer doesn’t care. The seal is there, but the seal consciousness has not kept up. If you really encounter a problem, you still have to talk about it."
In addition to popularization, it is also necessary to standardize
Although the seal is small, it connects merchants, riders and consumers, and is related to the "last mile" of takeaway food safety. Many consumers interviewed believe that on the one hand, it is necessary to continue to cultivate the habit of using the seal to promote the further popularization of the seal; on the other hand, to promote the standardization of the seal material and style, not only to protect the food from pollution, but also to prevent riders from falling into new "embarrassment".
"The cost of sealing is low, and the problem of achieving full coverage is that all parties do not pay enough attention." Pan Helin, co-director and researcher of the Digital Economy and Financial Innovation Research Center of the International Union Business School of Zhejiang University, believes that food delivery platforms should be well guided, such as pushing detailed rules of use to merchants, uniformly producing or purchasing compliance seals, and can also mark the next order page with or without seals. By affecting consumers’ choices, more merchants are forced to seal meals.
"In the past, when I arrived at the store, I only cared about whether the food was ready. Now, I still unconsciously pay attention to the packing process. When I encounter some unsealed merchants, I will remind them and tell them what I know and the purchase channel." Sheng Lin said.
Pan Helin believes that while popularizing, we must also standardize, and we should explore in practice to identify more effective sealing methods.
The reporter combed and found that since the beginning of this year, Zhejiang, Anhui, Inner Mongolia and other places have successively advocated the use of food safety seals, among which Zhejiang’s regulations are more clear. For example, if a single-sided seal is used, the length should be ≥ 12.5cm, the width should be ≥ 2.0cm, and the thickness should be ≥ 0.75mm. If a double-sided seal is used, an intermediate seal should be used, and the sealing length should not be less than 1/3 of the total length and the width should not be less than 2.0cm. In addition, simple seals such as staples and transparent glue cannot be used as takeaway seals.
Starting from his own delivery experience, Xu Qiang suggested that the seal can be added with a jagged or fish scale anti-tear design, and attached with a store icon. If conditions permit, it is best to add a layer of plastic seal to the lunch box. "The dishes are put into the lunch box as soon as they are ready, and the lid is easily pushed open by hot air. The plastic seal not only has a good sealing effect, but also solves the most common soup spilling problem faced by riders."
(At the request of the interviewee, some are pseudonyms)