China targets food advertising fraud and expands digital labeling

China's State Administration for Market Regulation has released a series of typical cases involving false advertising in online food sales. These cases highlight crackdowns on deceptive marketing, including the use of AI virtual humans in livestreaming to falsely claim that ordinary foods possess health-boosting properties, such as improving immunity. In one notable instance in Shenzhen, a company was fined 250,000 yuan for falsely claiming products could cure chronic conditions, leading elderly consumers to stop essential medications.

Parallel to these enforcement actions, China is advancing food safety through digital innovation. Following guidelines from the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation, over 2,200 food enterprises have implemented standardized digital labels for more than 15,000 products. These digital labels allow consumers to scan QR codes to access detailed information—such as ingredient origins, production processes, and traceability data—that cannot fit on physical packaging. This initiative aims to enhance consumer transparency and support smart supervision of the food safety supply chain.