Wenling City, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, gave a lighter punishment to a small workshop of illegal soybean products

"Considering that you are breaking the law for the first time, you have signed the "Voluntary Punishment Pledge" and actively corrected it, we can give a lighter punishment
.
" Recently, the Market Supervision Bureau of Wenling City, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, issued an administrative penalty decision with a lighter punishment
.

In June this year, the Wenling Market Supervision Bureau found that sodium benzoate was added to tofu produced by a small soybean products workshop in the jurisdiction during supervision and random inspection, which was judged to be unqualified
after testing.
Law enforcement officials said that sodium benzoate is a food additive, which can be added in some food processing in an appropriate amount, and its main role is antiseptic, but according to GB2760-2014 "National Food Safety Standard Food Additive Use Standard" document, it must not be added
in tofu.

"Due to the hot weather this summer, tofu is not easy to preserve after production, it is easy to deteriorate and produce odors, and it is not easy to sell
.
" The parties told law enforcement officers that in order to make tofu better preserved and fresh, they thought of adding preservatives
.

According to the facts of the case and the relevant administrative punishment discretionary provisions, a fine of between 5,100 and 7,900 yuan should have been imposed (all excluding the principal number), and in the course of the investigation of the case, law enforcement officers found that the parties were poor, the husband and wife were old and infirm, and the production and sale of tofu was their only livelihood, and actively cooperated with the investigation, truthfully stated the facts of the violation, and expressed a confession of mistake and punishment
.
Coincidentally, the "Implementation Measures for the System of "Accepting Punishment and Choosing the Lesser of Punishment" in the Field of Market Supervision in Taizhou City" issued by the Taizhou Market Supervision Bureau came into force on September 18, 2022, and the parties signed the "Voluntary Commitment to Accept Punishment"
as soon as possible.
In accordance with the provisions of Article 6, Paragraph 1 (1) of the Measures, law enforcement personnel made a discretionary administrative punishment, imposed a fine of 4,400 yuan and confiscated 40 yuan of illegal gains, and recently officially issued an administrative punishment decision on a lighter punishment
.

In line with the principle of combining punishment and education, law enforcement personnel require parties to carefully study the training videos of small food workshops, complete the final examination, effectively improve the overall quality, and do a good job in food safety production
.

"Accepting a lighter punishment can not only guide and educate the parties to actively cooperate with the investigation, reflecting the scale and temperature of law enforcement, but also play a positive role
in improving law enforcement efficiency, resolving administrative disputes, and optimizing the business environment based on the rule of law.
" The relevant person in charge of the Wenling Market Supervision Bureau said
.

(Ding Lingdong)

Responsible Editor: Zhao Yu Review: Peng Zonglu