According to the website of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China, AQSIQ has canceled 621 food manufacturing licenses of 564 food companies and revoked the licenses of three other food manufacturers who have been found breaking relevant rules.

AQSIQ says that of the 564 companies, 355 companies have lost the licenses because they have not applied for a renewal of their license or because of relocation or restructuring, accounting for 56.5% of the total. 249 companies have lost their the licenses because of bankruptcy, suspended operations or because they are no longer manufacturing food, accounting for 40%. 17 others have lost licenses because they have not reached the required market access conditions, accounting for about 3%.

In addition, AQSIQ says that Shijiazhuang Haochushi Food Factory, Hefei Wanmaomao Deepfreeze Food Company and Kaiping Shangang District Xinfengsheng Rice Factory have had their respective business licenses revoked because of serious breaches of relevant laws. The website does not specify what types of breaches caused the revocation.

A representative from AQSIQ says that the cancellation of the license is one of the important steps that they have taken to cleanse the market and ensure food safety in China.