In food, first see which tier you fall into: making food and running a restaurant need a permit, selling only prepackaged food needs a filing, and selling fresh meat and vegetables needs no permit
- Moderate value
- Evidence A
- Keeps you free
- Costs a little
- Takes some hours
- No willpower
In plain words
If you make something and sell it, such as a snack shop, braised foods, baking or homemade pickles, you need a permit. Selling only fully packaged food made by someone else needs no permit, only a filing with the market regulation department at county level or above. Selling fresh meat and vegetables needs no permit. Doing it without a permit brings a fine of at least 50,000 to 100,000 CNY, which is more than the starting capital of most small businesses.
Mentioned in
- If you buy unsafe food, besides a refund you can claim ten times the price, and additional compensation under 1000 CNY is counted as 1000 CNY
- For trades that need a permit, don't open until the permit is issued
- Food has a criminal line: selling meat from sick or dead animals or goods that exceed limits can be enough for a crime, and mixing in toxic or harmful substances is a crime whatever the amount, with sentences starting at up to 5 years
Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 12, tip 8. This section describes legal rules, mostly mainland China’s. It is general information, not legal advice; for your own case, talk to a lawyer. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer