High-Risk Prohibited Items: Transportation Bans on Perishable, Explosive, and Toxic Foods

Introduction

Food transportation is a critical link in ensuring food safety, and the regulation of high-risk food transportation serves as an important defense line safeguarding public health, public security, and the ecological environment. Among various prohibited foods, perishable, explosive, and toxic foods have become key targets of transportation regulation worldwide due to their unique risk profiles. Perishable foods are prone to rapid spoilage and pathogenic bacteria growth, potentially triggering large-scale food poisoning incidents; explosive foods are highly susceptible to explosions, combustion, and other safety accidents when exposed to temperature changes, pressure, or other external stimuli during transportation; toxic foods cause acute or chronic harm to human health, even endangering lives, either through direct consumption or indirect contamination.

China attaches great importance to the transportation safety of high-risk foods and has established a stringent regulatory system for prohibiting the transportation of high-risk foods through a series of laws and regulations, including the “Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China”, the “Regulations on the Safety Administration of Hazardous Chemicals”, and the “Regulations on Road Transportation”. This article systematically sorts out the definition standards, legal basis for transportation bans, potential risks and hazards, regulatory implementation mechanisms, and industry compliance strategies for perishable, explosive, and toxic foods. It aims to provide comprehensive references for transportation enterprises, producers and operators, and regulatory authorities, promote the standardized development of the high-risk food transportation industry, and strengthen the defense lines for food safety and public security.

I. Definition Standards and Core Categories of High-Risk Prohibited Foods

(I) Perishable Foods: Prohibition Boundaries Under Spoilage Risks

Perishable foods refer to those that are prone to spoilage, deterioration, and abnormal sensory characteristics within a short period under natural room temperature conditions due to microbial reproduction, enzymatic reactions, and oxidation. Such spoiled foods may endanger human health. The core criteria for prohibiting their transportation lie in “whether they have spoiled” and “whether they are equipped with safe preservation conditions”. Perishable foods that lack effective preservation measures, show signs of spoilage, or pose spoilage risks are all included in the prohibited scope.

1. Core Prohibited Categories

• Fresh livestock and poultry products: Pork, beef, lamb, chicken, duck, and other products not preserved via cold chain, those transported beyond the specified time limit or at inappropriate temperatures (e.g., fresh pork must be transported at 0-4℃, while frozen pork requires ≤-18℃), and products showing signs of spoilage such as abnormal odor, stickiness, or discoloration.
• Aquatic products: Fish, shrimp, crabs, shellfish, and other products not transported via low-temperature cold chain, especially fresh aquatic products that die due to lack of oxygen or excessive temperature during transportation and are not promptly harmlessly disposed of; aquatic products and their derivatives that have spoiled, with loose meat texture and fishy odor.
• Fruits and vegetables: Vegetables (e.g., spinach, lettuce, chives) and fruits (e.g., strawberries, lychees, mangoes) that suffer extensive damage, rot, or mold due to lack of anti-collision and preservation measures during transportation; nuts, grains, and other products contaminated with mold (e.g., aflatoxin) due to improper storage.
• Dairy and soybean products: Milk, yogurt, tofu, dried tofu, and other products transported at non-compliant temperatures (dairy products typically require ≤6℃ during transportation), expired, or showing signs of stratification, coagulation, or abnormal odor.

2. Key Definition Indicators

• Sensory indicators: Presence of abnormal odors such as putrefaction, rancidity, or off-smells; appearance abnormalities including stickiness, discoloration, mold, damage, or rot; compliance of meat and fruit/vegetable texture with normal standards.
• Temperature and time indicators: Adoption of specified cold chain transportation methods and maintenance of compliant temperatures throughout transportation; total time from production to transportation not exceeding the product’s safety shelf life or preservation period (e.g., fresh fish may be transported at room temperature for no more than 4 hours, or 24 hours via cold chain).
• Microbial indicators: Detection of pathogenic microorganisms (e.g., Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus) with total bacterial count, coliforms, and other indicators exceeding the limits specified in the “National Food Safety Standard Microbiological Examination of Foods” (GB 4789 series).

(II) Explosive Foods: Strict Control of Flammable and Explosive Properties

Explosive foods refer to those that, due to their inherent composition, are prone to violent chemical reactions when subjected to friction, impact, high temperature, vibration, or open flames, producing large amounts of gas and heat that can trigger explosions, combustion, and other safety accidents. The core criterion for prohibiting their transportation is “whether they possess flammable and explosive properties”. Such foods are explicitly prohibited from illegal transportation regardless of their current risk status.

1. Core Prohibited Categories

• High-alcohol content foods and products: Liquors with an alcohol content ≥60% (e.g., Baijiu, Vodka), especially those in glass bottles without explosion-proof and shockproof packaging; food additives containing volatile and flammable alcohol components (e.g., edible alcohol, seasoning wines with alcohol content ≥30%).
• Carbonated foods: Carbonated beverages (e.g., cola, soda) improperly sealed with leakage risks, especially canned carbonated beverages that may explode under high temperature or pressure; food products containing flammable and explosive gases (e.g., certain high-pressure sealed puffed foods, aerated candies).
• Other explosive foods: Processed foods containing flammable and explosive components (e.g., foods added with nitrocotton, though extremely rare, such products are strictly prohibited); foods with explosion risks due to substandard production processes (e.g., certain improperly sealed fermented foods where internal gas accumulation may cause packaging rupture or even explosion).

2. Key Definition Indicators

• Composition indicators: Presence of alcohol, flammable and explosive chemicals, and other components in quantities exceeding flammable and explosive thresholds (e.g., liquors with alcohol content ≥60% can form explosive mixtures when their vapors mix with air).
• Packaging and property indicators: Possession of physical properties of flammable and explosive substances (e.g., volatility, flammability, thermal expansion); compliance of packaging with explosion-proof, shockproof, and leak-proof standards, and absence of safety hazards.

(III) Toxic Foods: Comprehensive Prohibition Guided by Health Hazards

Toxic foods refer to those containing toxic and harmful substances (e.g., natural toxins, artificially added toxic substances, pollutants) that may cause acute poisoning, chronic damage, or even death when consumed. The core criteria for prohibiting their transportation are “whether they contain toxic and harmful substances” and “whether the content exceeds safety limits”. Any food containing such substances that may endanger human health is strictly prohibited from transportation.

1. Core Prohibited Categories

• Naturally toxic foods: Toxic animals and plants not detoxified or inadequately detoxified, such as poisonous mushrooms (e.g., Amanita muscaria, Amanita verna), undercooked kidney beans, hyacinth beans, raw soybean milk, sprouted potatoes (with excessive solanine content), non-detoxified puffer fish, Nassarius snails; foods with excessive natural toxins (e.g., bitter almonds, peach kernels with cyanogenic glycoside content exceeding safety limits).
• Foods with illegally added toxic substances: Chinese cabbage, tripe, vermicelli, and other products illegally treated with formaldehyde; fried dough sticks, vermicelli, and other products added with industrial alum; bacon, sausage, and other meat products with excessive nitrite (residue limit ≤30mg/kg); foods dyed with prohibited colorants such as Sudan Red and Malachite Green.
• Foods with excessive contamination: Fruits and vegetables with excessive pesticide residues (e.g., organophosphorus pesticide residues exceeding GB 2763-2021 standards); livestock, poultry, and aquatic products with excessive veterinary drug residues (e.g., clenbuterol, antibiotic residues); grains and aquatic products contaminated with heavy metals (e.g., lead, mercury, cadmium); nuts, edible oils, grains, and other products with excessive mycotoxins such as aflatoxin.
• Other toxic foods: Spoiled sugarcane (producing 3-nitropropionic acid toxin), moldy corn (containing aflatoxin), expired and spoiled foods producing toxic substances; illegally processed toxic food products (e.g., toxic alcohol, toxic tofu).

2. Key Definition Indicators

• Toxic substance content: Detection of prohibited toxic substances (e.g., formaldehyde, Sudan Red, Malachite Green); natural toxins, pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and other substances exceeding limits specified in national food safety standards.
• Hazard level: Potential for acute poisoning (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea, coma, death) or chronic damage (e.g., carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, mutagenicity) after consumption, supported by clear evidence of health hazards.

II. Legal Basis and Core Principles for Prohibiting High-Risk Food Transportation

(I) Core Legal System: Multi-Level Institutional Guarantee for Prohibitions

China has established a comprehensive legal system for prohibiting high-risk food transportation, centered on laws and regulations such as the “Food Safety Law”, “Regulations on Road Transportation”, “Regulations on the Safety Administration of Hazardous Chemicals”, “Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Law”, and “Measures for the Administration of Food Business Licensing”. This system clarifies the legal circumstances for prohibitions, legal liabilities, and regulatory requirements.

1. Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China

• Article 34 explicitly prohibits the production and sale of “corrupt, deteriorated, rancid, moldy, worm-infested, filthy, unclean, mixed with foreign matter, adulterated, or sensorially abnormal foods” and “foods containing pathogenic microorganisms, pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, biological toxins, heavy metals, or other harmful substances exceeding food safety standard limits”. Correspondingly, such foods are also prohibited from transportation.
• Article 122 stipulates that those engaging in food transportation without obtaining a food business license or transporting prohibited foods, if not constituting a crime, shall have their illegal gains and transported foods confiscated, and face a fine of not less than 50,000 yuan but not more than 100,000 yuan; in serious cases, their licenses shall be revoked.

2. Regulations on Road Transportation of the People’s Republic of China

• Article 26 prohibits freight operators from transporting goods prohibited by laws and administrative regulations; transporting hazardous goods (e.g., high-alcohol content products classified as explosive foods) must comply with relevant hazardous goods transportation regulations and require a hazardous goods transportation license.
• Article 63 imposes penalties on those transporting hazardous goods without a valid license: the competent transportation department of the local people’s government at or above the county level shall order them to cease operations, confiscate illegal gains, and impose a fine of 2 to 10 times the illegal gains; if there are no illegal gains or the gains are less than 20,000 yuan, a fine of 30,000 to 100,000 yuan shall be imposed.

3. Regulations on the Safety Administration of Hazardous Chemicals

• Article 3 classifies “flammable liquids” (e.g., liquors with alcohol content ≥60%) as hazardous chemicals, specifying that their transportation requires a corresponding license—unauthorized transportation is prohibited. Transportation must comply with hazardous goods safety regulations and be equipped with necessary safety protection facilities.
• Article 88 penalizes unauthorized transportation of hazardous chemicals: the competent transportation department shall order corrections and impose a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 yuan; failure to correct may result in ordered suspension of production and business; criminal liability shall be pursued for violations constituting crimes.

4. Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China

• Article 33 prohibits the transportation of “agricultural products containing prohibited pesticides, veterinary drugs, or other compounds”, “agricultural products with excessive residues of pesticides, veterinary drugs, biological toxins, heavy metals, or other harmful substances exceeding food safety standards”, and “corrupt, deteriorated, rancid, moldy, worm-infested, filthy, unclean, mixed with foreign matter, adulterated, or sensorially abnormal agricultural products”.
• Article 50 stipulates that those transporting such products shall have their illegal gains and goods confiscated by the competent agricultural and rural department of the people’s government at or above the county level, and face a fine of 10 to 20 times the value of the goods; in serious cases, relevant licenses shall be revoked.

(II) Core Principles of Prohibition

1. Safety Priority Principle: Regardless of transportation distance or cargo value, foods posing risks to human health or public safety shall be subject to prohibition regulations to resolutely prevent risk spread.
2. Prevention-Oriented Principle: High-risk foods with potential risks (e.g., perishable foods without effective preservation, explosive foods with substandard packaging) are prohibited even if no spoilage or safety accident has occurred, to prevent hazards before they arise.
3. Whole-Process Control Principle: Prohibition regulations cover the entire chain of production, packaging, transportation, and storage. They not only ban the transportation of problematic foods but also prohibit producers and operators from introducing high-risk foods into the transportation link.

III. Potential Risks and Hazards of High-Risk Prohibited Foods

(I) Perishable Foods: Food Safety Crises Caused by Spoilage

1. Food Poisoning Risks: Spoiled perishable foods breed large quantities of pathogenic microorganisms (e.g., Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Listeria) and produce biological toxins (e.g., aflatoxin, botulinum toxin). Consumption can cause acute gastroenteritis, leading to symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain; severe cases may result in dehydration, shock, or even death. For example, in 2022, a transportation enterprise failed to use cold chain for fresh pork, leading to spoilage and Salmonella contamination. The pork entered the market and caused food poisoning in over 50 people.
2. Public Health Incident Risks: If spoiled perishable foods flow into wholesale markets, farmers’ markets, or other circulation channels, they may trigger large-scale food poisoning incidents affecting numerous people, seriously endangering public health. Improper disposal of spoiled foods (e.g., random dumping) can also contaminate soil and water sources, breed pests, and cause secondary public health risks.
3. Industry Trust Crisis: Frequent incidents of spoiled perishable foods during transportation erode consumer trust in the fresh food market, hindering the healthy development of related industries. For instance, an e-commerce platform faced declining reputation and market share in its fresh food business due to repeated complaints about spoiled fruits during transportation.

(II) Explosive Foods: Safety Hazards During Transportation

1. Explosion and Combustion Risks: Explosive foods are highly prone to explosion or combustion when subjected to external stimuli such as extrusion, impact, high temperature, or vibration during transportation. For example, canned carbonated beverages may rupture or explode due to gas expansion during high-temperature transportation in summer, causing vehicle damage or personal injury; high-alcohol content liquors may ignite if leaked due to packaging damage and exposed to open flames.
2. Chain Accident Risks: Transportation accidents involving explosive foods can trigger chain reactions—e.g., vehicle explosions may cause road blockages or ignite surrounding vehicles/cargo, expanding the impact. If accidents occur in densely populated areas (e.g., urban arterial roads, residential districts), they may result in heavy casualties and property losses.
3. Environmental Pollution Risks: Explosions or combustion of explosive foods may release toxic and harmful substances (e.g., carbon monoxide from alcohol combustion, harmful gases from burning food additives), contaminating air, soil, and water sources and damaging the ecological environment.

(III) Toxic Foods: Invisible Health Killers

1. Acute Poisoning Hazards: Consumption of highly toxic foods (e.g., poisonous mushrooms, non-detoxified puffer fish, formaldehyde-treated foods) can cause acute poisoning within a short period, leading to symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, and convulsions. Severe cases may result in liver/kidney failure, respiratory failure, or death. For example, in 2023, a batch of illegally transported poisonous mushrooms containing Amanita verna toxin was seized—consumption would have resulted in an extremely high mortality rate.
2. Chronic Damage Hazards: Long-term consumption of foods containing trace toxic substances (e.g., pesticide-residue or heavy-metal contaminated foods) can lead to toxin accumulation in the body, causing chronic diseases. For instance, prolonged intake of lead-contaminated foods impairs the nervous and hematopoietic systems, particularly causing irreversible damage to children’s intellectual development; long-term exposure to aflatoxin-contaminated foods increases the risk of liver cancer.
3. Ecological Hazards: The production, transportation, and disposal of toxic foods can severely pollute the ecological environment. For example, leakage of heavy-metal contaminated foods during transportation contaminates soil and water, affecting crop growth and aquatic life; random dumping of toxic foods may be ingested by wild animals, disrupting ecological balance.

IV. Regulatory Implementation Mechanisms and Law Enforcement Practices for High-Risk Prohibited Foods

(I) Multi-Department Collaborative Regulatory System

The supervision of high-risk prohibited foods involves multiple departments, including market regulation, transportation, agriculture and rural affairs, public security, and emergency management. Each department performs its duties and collaborates to form a whole-chain regulatory network covering transportation.

1. Market Regulation Departments: Responsible for quality and safety supervision of high-risk foods during transportation, focusing on investigating illegal activities such as transporting spoiled perishable foods and toxic foods (e.g., pesticide-residue exceeding, illegal toxic additives). They set up inspection points at wholesale markets, farmers’ markets, and e-commerce logistics parks to conduct random inspections of transport vehicles, verifying food quality, temperature records, and shelf life; they also trace food sources and destinations to crack down on illegal transportation.
2. Transportation Departments: Responsible for reviewing transportation qualifications and supervising transportation safety, focusing on violations such as transporting explosive foods (e.g., high-alcohol content products) without hazardous goods licenses, lacking necessary safety facilities, or using non-compliant vehicles. They set up inspection points at highway entrances/exits and freight stations to verify vehicle qualifications, driver certifications, and shipping documents; they also urge transportation enterprises to fulfill main safety responsibilities.
3. Agricultural and Rural Affairs Departments: Responsible for source supervision of agricultural products (e.g., fresh livestock/poultry, aquatic products, fruits/vegetables) during transportation, focusing on investigating illegal transportation of unquarantined, substandard-quarantine, or spoiled agricultural products. They conduct pre-transport inspections and quarantines at production bases and origin wholesale markets to block unqualified products from entering transportation; they also supervise cold chain enterprises to ensure compliant temperatures for perishable agricultural products.
4. Public Security Departments: Responsible for combating criminal transportation of high-risk foods, investigating cases transferred by other departments (e.g., major food poisoning from toxic foods, safety accidents from explosive foods) and pursuing criminal liability. They establish joint law enforcement mechanisms with other departments to intensify crackdowns during special campaigns, creating a strong deterrent.
5. Emergency Management Departments: Responsible for coordinating emergency responses to transportation safety accidents involving high-risk foods, guiding enterprises to formulate emergency plans and conduct drills; they organize rescue and disposal efforts during explosions, combustion, or other accidents to minimize losses.

(II) Key Regulatory Links and Technical Means

1. Source Control: Strengthen supervision of producers and operators to ensure they do not introduce high-risk foods (e.g., spoiled, toxic, or improperly packaged explosive foods) into transportation. Agricultural and rural affairs, as well as market regulation departments, conduct daily inspections and sampling at production bases and processing facilities; transportation departments strictly review enterprise qualifications to ban unqualified operators.
2. In-Transit Inspections: Set up fixed and mobile inspection points at key nodes such as inter-provincial borders, freight stations, highway entrances/exits, and wholesale markets to conduct regular random inspections of vehicles transporting high-risk foods. Inspection contents include: food quality (spoilage, toxic substances), transportation qualifications (hazardous goods licenses), vehicle conditions (cold chain, explosion-proof facilities), temperature records, and packaging compliance.
3. Technology-Enabled Supervision: Promote intelligent and information-based supervision tools to improve efficiency and accuracy. For example, use IoT technology for real-time temperature monitoring of cold chain vehicles, with automatic alarms for temperature deviations; implement a food traceability system to achieve “traceable source, trackable destination, and accountable responsibility”, enabling rapid identification of problematic transportation links; adopt rapid detection equipment (e.g., pesticide residue detectors, formaldehyde detectors) for on-site testing to quickly identify unqualified products.
4. Special Rectification Campaigns: Launch targeted campaigns to address prominent issues. For example, conduct special inspections on cold chain transportation of perishable foods during high-temperature summer months to crack down on improper preservation and spoiled food transportation; intensify efforts during holidays to combat transportation of toxic and explosive foods; organize special law enforcement actions during Food Safety Publicity Week to create regulatory deterrence.

(III) Typical Law Enforcement Cases

1. Case 1: Illegal Transportation of Spoiled Pork by a Transportation Company

In 2023, a transportation company was entrusted by a farm to transport 10 tons of fresh pork from Henan to Guangdong using ordinary trucks instead of cold chain vehicles, with a total transportation time of 36 hours. The vehicle was seized by market regulation authorities, who found the pork had spoiled (abnormal odor, stickiness) and contained excessive Salmonella. In accordance with the “Food Safety Law” and “Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Law”, the authorities confiscated and harmlessly disposed of the pork, imposed a 300,000-yuan fine (15 times the cargo value) on the transportation company, and a 200,000-yuan fine on the farm.

2. Case 2: Illegal Transportation of High-Alcohol Liquor by an Individual

In 2022, an individual transported 50 cases (6 bottles per case) of 65% alcohol content Baijiu from Shandong to Hebei using an ordinary van without a hazardous goods transportation license. During transportation, vehicle jolting caused some bottles to break and liquor to leak. Jointly seized by transportation and public security departments, the individual was fined 80,000 yuan in accordance with the “Regulations on Road Transportation” and “Regulations on the Safety Administration of Hazardous Chemicals”, and ordered to cease illegal transportation.

3. Case 3: Transportation of Pesticide-Residue Exceeding Vegetables by an Enterprise

In 2023, a vegetable-growing enterprise entrusted a transportation company to ship a batch of spinach to Shanghai without prior quality testing. Market regulation authorities conducted random inspections during transportation and found the spinach contained 0.2mg/kg of omethoate—10 times the limit specified in GB 2763-2021 (0.02mg/kg). In accordance with the “Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Law”, the authorities confiscated and harmlessly disposed of the spinach, imposed an 180,000-yuan fine (20 times the cargo value) on the growing enterprise, and a 50,000-yuan fine on the transportation company.

V. Industry Compliance Strategies and Risk Prevention Recommendations

(I) Transportation Enterprises: Building a Solid Compliance Defense Line

1. Qualification and Equipment Compliance

• Enterprises transporting high-risk foods must obtain corresponding qualifications (e.g., hazardous goods transportation license, cold chain qualification) and equip compliant vehicles (e.g., cold chain vehicles with temperature monitoring, hazardous goods vehicles with explosion-proof, shockproof, and leak-proof facilities).
• Regularly maintain and inspect transport vehicles and equipment to ensure cold chain refrigeration systems, temperature monitors, and safety protection facilities for hazardous goods vehicles are fully functional.

2. Transportation Process Control

• Establish strict cargo inspection systems: Verify quality and safety certificates, quarantine documents, shelf life, and packaging conditions when accepting high-risk food transportation orders; refuse to transport spoiled, improperly packaged, or undocumented goods.
• Standardize operational procedures: Strictly control temperature and time for perishable food transportation with full temperature records; avoid extrusion, impact, and high temperatures for explosive foods with dedicated escorts; use sealed vehicles for toxic foods to prevent leakage and contamination.
• Maintain detailed transportation records: Document cargo name, quantity, source, destination, transportation time, temperature data, and driver information to ensure full traceability.

3. Personnel Training and Emergency Management

• Regularly train drivers, escorts, and loaders on laws, safety operations, and emergency response to familiarize them with transportation requirements, potential risks, and handling procedures for high-risk foods.
• Develop emergency plans for incidents such as perishable food spoilage, explosive food explosions, and toxic food leakage; clarify response processes and responsibilities; conduct regular drills to enhance emergency capabilities.

(II) Producers and Operators: Controlling Transportation Risks at the Source

1. Quality and Safety Control

• Strictly comply with food safety standards and strengthen quality management during production, processing, and storage to ensure foods meet transportation requirements. Promptly preserve perishable foods with qualified packaging; prohibit toxic and harmful foods from entering circulation and transportation; package and label explosive foods in accordance with regulations.
• Establish self-inspection systems: Test outgoing foods for microorganisms, pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, and toxic substances; prohibit unqualified products from leaving factories for transportation.

2. Transportation Cooperation and Disclosure Obligations

• Collaborate with qualified, reputable transportation enterprises; sign standardized contracts specifying temperature, time, packaging requirements, and safety responsibilities; avoid entrusting unqualified enterprises with high-risk food transportation.
• Truthfully inform transportation enterprises of food characteristics, transportation requirements, and potential risks; provide relevant quality certificates and quarantine documents to assist with cargo inspection and process control.

(III) Regulatory Authorities: Enhancing Supervision Efficiency and Long-Term Mechanisms

1. Improving Legal and Standard Systems

• Revise and improve laws, regulations, and standards based on industry development to clarify definition standards, prohibition scenarios, and legal liabilities for high-risk foods, addressing regulatory gaps. For example, update transportation safety standards for new types of perishable or explosive foods.
• Strengthen standard promotion and interpretation to ensure transportation enterprises and producers fully understand and implement requirements, enhancing industry compliance awareness.

2. Innovating Supervision Methods and Tools

• Further promote intelligent supervision technologies, building a high-risk food transportation supervision platform integrating cold chain temperature monitoring, transportation tracking, qualification verification, and sampling results to achieve full-process visualization and information-based supervision.
• Establish inter-departmental information sharing and joint law enforcement mechanisms to strengthen communication, clue transfer, and case collaboration, forming regulatory synergy and closing loopholes.

3. Strengthening Publicity and Social Supervision

• Promote laws, risks, and compliance requirements through media, internet, and training to enhance compliance awareness among enterprises and producers, and self-protection awareness among consumers.
• Improve reporting channels and incentivize public participation (e.g., rewards for valid reports) to encourage consumers and industry associations to participate in supervision, fostering a “social co-governance” environment.

VI. Conclusion

The regulation of high-risk prohibited food transportation is a crucial measure to safeguard public health, public security, and the ecological environment. Due to their unique risk profiles, perishable, explosive, and toxic foods can trigger severe consequences—including food safety accidents, public security incidents, and ecological damage—if transported illegally. China has established a relatively sound legal system and multi-department collaborative regulatory mechanism for prohibiting such transportation. However, with the rapid development of the food industry and diversified transportation methods, supervision still faces numerous challenges.

Transportation enterprises must fulfill their main responsibilities, standardize operational procedures, and build solid compliance lines; producers and operators must strengthen source quality control and select compliant transportation channels; regulatory authorities must enhance supervision efficiency, innovate methods, and improve long-term mechanisms; consumers must raise self-protection awareness and resist unqualified high-risk foods. Only through joint efforts can illegal transportation of high-risk foods be effectively curbed, promoting the standardized, safe development of the industry, and building a solid barrier for food safety and public security to support the sustainable health of the food industry.