Food safety in China (Gelatine Shrimps? Anyone?)

The distrust of the Chinese consumer of local food suppliers has spiked after another food safety scandal. The Shrimps where injected with gelatine in order to make them look more appealing, it resulted in a nationwide outcry on social media about food safety in China. These and other safety scandals have resulted in distrust and suspicion of local food supplies, increasing cross-border ecommerce spending from Chinese consumers.

There is an obvious link between these recent developments and the most popular categories for cross-border products. Personal care, Baby products, milk powder, health and wellness products belong amongst the top 5 categories to be purchased over the biggest global platforms. These products are popular because they are manufactured in countries that guarantee safe production and their shipping location guarantee authenticity.

Cross-border platforms like Tmall Global and JD worldwide give peace of mind to consumers as they guarantee authenticity of the product and seller. Retailers and brands have to comply with a range of measures before they can sell their product, without compliance one cannot sell its products on the platforms. The seller will need to provide the platform with proof of ownership and other documents that show the authenticity of the product.