Beijing has launched a new initiative that turns food delivery riders into frontline supervisors, in a bid to strengthen oversight of the city's vast food service sector.

The program, announced by the municipal market regulator on Thursday, brings together authorities, major delivery platforms and industry associations under a joint governance memorandum aimed at improving food safety compliance, according to a post by the Beijing market supervision bureau on Thursday.

Under the new system, riders are encouraged to report potential violations they encounter during pickups and deliveries — from unhygienic kitchen conditions to unlicensed operations — using in-app "snap and report" tools. Platforms carry out initial screening of submissions before forwarding verified leads to regulators for investigation.

A closed-loop system has been set up to ensure accountability. Authorities review the reports and take action where necessary, while outcomes are fed back to the platforms. Riders whose tips are confirmed are rewarded through a dedicated fund financed by participating platforms, it said.

The initiative also places a strong emphasis on self-regulation. Regulators will analyze patterns in rider reports to identify recurring risks, prompting platforms to refine safety controls and industry groups to organise inspections and training.

Several districts have introduced additional measures to support the rollout. In Haidian, more than 1,000 riders have been enlisted as "food safety sentinels" under an incentive-based system, while Tongzhou has launched a dedicated mini-program to streamline reporting procedures.