F&B services 2016
Consumer Council establishes the ‘Code of Practice’ for food and beverage services to further enhance the sense of food safety of ‘Certified Shops’, and the prerequisite to label price further safeguard consumers’ rights to information and choose when making consumption. Consumer Council establishes ‘Codes of Practice’ for different industries to safeguard consumers’ access to safe and high-quality products and services. ‘Code of Practice’ for F&B services takes effect on 1 October Macao is now an international tourism city, local food and beverage businesses should make themselves up-to-date and satisfy both local citizens’ and international tourists’ requests regarding food services. Consumer Council, therefore, consulted Food Safety Centre of IACM, consultants of Consumer Arbitration Centre, and ‘Certified Shops’ from the relevant businesses and established the ‘Code of Practice’ for food and beverage services, and the Code will take effect on 1 October. Strict regulations on many aspects The ‘Code of Practice’ for food & beverage services requires ‘Certified Shops’ of the concerned industry to comply with the local regulation to strictly following the execution of food safety and measurements. Other requirements include: ‘Certified Shops’ must let consumers know about the measured weights or volume, retail prices of food or beverage products and other charges must be listed explicitly, description of ingredients should match the food sold to consumers, and ‘Certified Shops’ should support the sustainable development of the environment in terms of operations. Different Codes to be set for various industries The Council states that the ‘Code of Practice’ for F&B services safeguards consumers in areas such as food safety and information transparency, the said Code is currently the seventeenth Code set for industries under the ‘Certified Shop’ mechanism. The Council will continue to establish different Codes to raise the overall standard of ‘Certified Shops’. ‘Code of Practice’ regulates rights and obligations of both consumers and traders There are currently about 120 shops under the ‘Certified Shop’ mechanism, all shops are called on to abide by the Code, and the Council welcomes other shops to adopt the new Code for the improvement of local food and beverage service industry. The ‘Code of Practice’ for food and beverage services is now available on the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and will be available at different public locations. For inquiry, please call 8988 9315.