SAMR (SAC) recently released two voluntary national standards, GB/T 44141-2024, Central kitchen—Specifications for operation and management, and GB/T 44142-2024, Central kitchen—Construction requirements, which will be implemented on October 1, 2024.

Central kitchens, which are the places for food enterprises to carry out production and processing, quality control and inspection, uniform packaging, storage, delivery and information handling, become a new trend of the modernization transformation of the catering industry, which rely on centralized procurement, processing and delivery. The two national standards are of great significance for improving the efficiency of catering, raising the use ratio of raw materials, reducing food waste, and strengthening the management of food safety.

GB/T 44142-2024 specifies the requirements in four aspects including site selection and overall layout, setting of processing zone, construction of the main structure, and facility and equipment of a central kitchen, which provides guidance for the reasonable construction and scientific investment.

GB/T 44141-2024 provides guidance for the operation and management of central kitchens in terms of facility and equipment management, operation and processing, safety and traceability, emergency management and recall, personnel management, information record and file management, as well as supervision, evaluation and improvement. It also puts forward specific requirements for the procurement and acceptance of raw materials, operation and processing, inspection and reserved samples, storage, delivery and other phases.

The two standards will further improve the intensive operation capability of the catering industry, cultivate the new mode of “breeding bases + central kitchens + catering stores”, and contribute to the high-quality development of relevant industries.