Takeaway food has been banned in a Beijing office building after the property management company received complaints about health and safety issues relating to takeaway meals, Beijing Evening News reported on Wednesday.

The Hongcheng Xintai building near Chaoyang Park Bridge no longer allows staff to bring food through the doors, a rule that has caused some consternation among employees.

One office worker surnamed Qiao said that lunch in the building's canteen is expensive and he usually buys a takeaway lunch from a restaurant with lower prices.

Other workers said that the new rule is inconvenient, because it takes 10 minutes to get to a restaurant nearby where they can sit down for lunch.

A receptionist at the building explained that the ban was brought in after someone complained about health and safety issues relating to food on the premises.

However, security guards said that implementing the rule was difficult because they are unable to check the bags of every person entering the building.