The Beijing Internet Court has reaffirmed the critical importance of upholding fundamental safety standards for food and drugs, calling for enhanced oversight of producers and online platforms to protect consumers' legitimate rights. "With the digital economy and e-commerce becoming deeply integrated, online consumption has become a crucial channel for distributing food and drugs," Yi Jun, the court's vice-president, stated on Tuesday. He pointed to data indicating that China's food e-commerce transaction volume is expected to grow from 2.4 trillion yuan ($328 billion) in 2023 to 3.3 trillion yuan by 2025.

While the surge in online consumption is welcomed, Yi highlighted that challenges such as false advertising, illegal sales, and counterfeit products have also surfaced in the online food and drug sectors, posing direct threats to public health and safety. From 2023 to 2025, the court dealt with a total of 2,061 cases related to online food and drug consumption, he said, adding that issues like producers excessively using additives and banned substances for profit, and some online platforms failing to properly verify the credentials of food and drug operators, are more frequently seen in case handling.

In response, the court has intensified efforts to improve the quality of such case handling, imposing punitive damages on violators in severe cases to protect consumers' rights and interests, according to him. He revealed that over the three-year period, the court fully or partially supported consumer claims in about 65 percent of cases, with approximately 40 percent resulting in rulings that required sellers or producers to pay punitive damages.

Yi urged producers and sellers to accurately present food and drug label information to uphold consumers' right to product knowledge and called for stricter supervision of business qualifications on online platforms. Furthermore, he recommended that internet operators offer consumers simpler channels to report problematic products and swiftly take actions such as removing items from sale or closing stores when violations are detected, in addition to reporting these issues to regulatory authorities.