GB 31663-2025National food safety standard - Hygienic specification for catering services on railway passenger trains (English PDF)

1 Scope

This standard lays down the basic food safety requirements and management rules for the premises, facilities, equipment and personnel involved in the purchase, acceptance, storage, delivery, dining-car processing and supply service stages of catering services on railway passenger trains.

This standard applies to catering services on railway passenger trains.

2 Terms and definitions

The terms and definitions given in GB 31654 and the following apply to this standard.

2.1 Dining car. The carriage of a railway passenger train that provides catering services to passengers during operation of the train.

2.2 Pre-made meal for railway passenger trains. A meal made in advance at a designated production and processing site, produced centrally by a hot-chain or cold-chain process and delivered to railway passenger trains, including hot-held packaged meals, chilled packaged meals and frozen packaged meals.

2.3 Online-ordered food for railway passenger trains. A meal booked by a passenger through the railway internet platform, delivered by a railway delivery unit and handed out on the train to the passenger who is dining.

2.4 Meal transfer store. The store room in which pre-made meals and online-ordered food for railway passenger trains are held temporarily after being transported to the station and before being delivered on board.

3 Premises and layout

3.1 General requirements. The relevant provisions of GB 31654 shall be met and, according to the features of railway passenger trains, appropriate measures shall be taken to control food safety risks.

3.2.1 A train that provides catering services shall be fitted with a dining car, and its catering capacity shall meet the processing and supply demand.

3.2.2 The dining car should be placed in the middle of the train formation, so that meals can be sent to the carriages on both sides and the time limits for meal delivery can be met.

3.2.3 The dining car shall be designed and manufactured as a whole. The food handling area shall be laid out rationally according to the food storage, processing and supply flow, with a food storage area, a cooking area, a finished-product area and an area for washing, disinfecting and keeping tableware clean set out accordingly, each clearly marked, so as to avoid cross-contamination.

3.3.1 The meal transfer store should be sited within the area of the railway station, with tidy surroundings, and shall be kept away from refuse and sewage treatment sites and other sources of contamination.

3.3.2 The building structure shall be kept in good condition and laid out rationally according to the food storage and supply flow. A separate area or a separate facility shall be provided for storing clean tools and utensils, sited where it cannot contaminate food.

4 Facilities and equipment

4.1 General requirements. The relevant provisions of GB 31654 shall be met and, according to the features of railway passenger trains, appropriate measures shall be taken to control food safety risks.

4.2.1 The dining car shall have water supply, drainage, power supply and exhaust facilities, in good working order.

4.2.2 It shall be equipped with facilities and equipment for hand washing, washing, disinfection, refrigeration, freezing, heating, hot holding, storage and processing. The refrigerating and freezing equipment provided shall match the quantity of the food raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products supplied and their storage conditions.

4.2.3 The food containers, tools and the hot-holding, refrigerating, freezing and cupboard equipment of the dining car shall carry clear distinguishing marks. Equipment, cupboards and utensils of every kind shall be stored by category in fixed positions, to prevent cross-contamination.

4.2.4 A dedicated clean storage cabinet for tableware shall be provided.

4.2.5 The heating equipment of the dining car shall be in good working order and safe in use.

4.2.6 The floor drains, the roof exhaust openings and the gaps in the carriage walls of the dining car shall be fitted with appropriate means to keep out rodents and other harmful organisms.

4.3.1 According to the storage and delivery requirements for meals, the transfer store shall be equipped with storage, delivery, hot-holding, refrigerating, freezing and cleaning and disinfection facilities and equipment that meet food safety requirements.

4.3.2 It shall have ventilation and exhaust devices and be kept dry, with light-shielding facilities where necessary.

4.3.3 It shall be equipped with storage racks suited to the transfer boxes and bags.

4.3.4 It shall be equipped with facilities that meet the cleaning and disinfection requirements for the hands of the staff and for food utensils and tools.

4.3.5 Suitable pest control facilities shall be provided as needed, to prevent harmful organisms from entering.

4.4.1 Dedicated tools for delivering food (boxes, bags, trolleys) shall be provided.

4.4.2 The body of the transport vehicle shall be closed; the material of the delivery box or bag shall meet food safety requirements and shall lend itself to cleaning and disinfection.

4.5 Temperature control requirements for facilities and equipment. Storage, transport and delivery facilities and equipment subject to temperature requirements shall be fitted with a temperature measuring device that can display the internal temperature, and that device shall be calibrated periodically.

5 Purchase and acceptance

5.1.1.1 The relevant provisions of GB 31654 shall be met.

5.1.1.2 A unified purchasing and unified goods-inward system shall be set up for the raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products used in the dining car. The relevant supporting documents shall be checked in accordance with the national food safety provisions, and a supplier file shall be kept.

5.1.1.3 An assessment system shall be set up for the suppliers of pre-made meals and of online-ordered food for railway passenger trains, and food shall be bought from qualified suppliers.

5.1.1.4 Ready-to-eat fresh-cut fruit and vegetables that are bought in shall be transported and stored refrigerated.

5.1.2.1 The raw materials and semi-finished products used in the dining car shall meet the relevant requirements of the food safety standards.

5.1.2.2 The dining car shall buy vegetables that have been pre-treated, washed, peeled or not peeled, cut or not cut, and packaged.

5.1.2.3 The outer packaging of semi-finished products shall be marked with the name of the food, the time of processing, the storage conditions, the shelf life and the producing unit.

5.1.3.1 A supplier with the lawful qualifications shall be chosen; its production and processing capacity and its management system shall be assessed; and its control of the quality of raw and auxiliary materials, its production and processing environment, its production and processing facilities and equipment, its production and processing operations, its storage conditions, its retention of food samples and its transport and delivery capacity shall be verified on site. The qualified suppliers of pre-made meals for railway passenger trains are determined by that overall assessment.

5.1.3.2 The production and processing of the pre-made meals bought in shall comply with the relevant standards and provisions and shall meet the following conditions: a) an automated packaging line is available; b) where chilled or frozen meals are produced, rapid chilling equipment shall be available whose technical parameters can meet the required cooling rate and production quantity; c) a finished-product cold store with temperature control and temperature monitoring functions is available; d) the packaging material of pre-made meals for railway passenger trains shall comply with the national food safety standards; where the packaging is to be heated by microwave or another means, the material shall be suited to that heating method and the heating process shall not affect food safety; e) pre-made meals for railway passenger trains shall be marked with the name of the meal, the date of production and processing, the storage conditions, the shelf life or time limit for consumption and information on the producing and trading enterprise; a pre-made meal that has to be heated before it is eaten shall be marked with the heating method and requirements; f) for hot-held and chilled pre-made meals the date of production and processing shall be marked to the hour and the minute.

5.1.4.1 A supplier with the lawful qualifications shall be chosen; its processing capacity and its management arrangements shall be assessed; and its processing environment, processing facilities and equipment and processing operations shall be assessed on site. The qualified suppliers of online-ordered food for railway passenger trains are determined by that overall assessment.

5.1.4.2 The making of the online-ordered food bought in shall comply with the relevant standards and provisions and shall meet the following conditions: a) processing of the online-ordered food for a given train service starts one hour before the train reaches the station and is completed within 30 min; b) the range of online-ordered food shall meet the particular requirements of railway catering, and raw food and cold dishes containing ingredients of animal origin should not be supplied; c) online-ordered food shall be in a small closed pack, well packaged, so as to avoid off-odours, spillage, breakage, dripping and contamination of the food; d) online-ordered food shall be marked with the name of the food, the time of processing, the time limit for consumption and information on the unit that made it, and, where necessary, with the method of consumption; e) food safety seals should be used for online-ordered food.

5.2.1 General requirements for acceptance. The relevant provisions of GB 31654 shall be met.

5.2.2.1 Acceptance criteria shall be laid down for the food and food-related products bought in.

5.2.2.2 Every batch of food and of raw and auxiliary materials bought in shall be examined by the senses; products that fail the examination shall be rejected and a record made.

5.2.2.3 For the raw materials and semi-finished products used in meals made in the dining car, the check shall look in particular for goods that do not match the invoice, vegetables that have not been trimmed, goods with no packaging, and semi-finished products whose markings are incomplete or unclear.

5.2.2.4 For pre-made meals for railway passenger trains, the check shall look in particular for damaged packaging, incomplete or unclear markings, absence of a date of production and processing or an expired product, transport temperature out of limits, and goods that do not match the invoice.

5.2.2.5 When hot-held, chilled and frozen pre-made meals are checked, the acceptance time shall be kept as short as possible so as to limit the change in surface temperature of the food. Once accepted, chilled and frozen pre-made meals shall be moved promptly from the transport vehicle into the refrigerating and freezing cabinets of the dining car.

5.2.2.6 For online-ordered food for railway passenger trains, the check shall look in particular for damaged outer packaging and broken seals.

5.2.3.1 For pre-made meals in the transfer store, the check shall cover the internal temperature of the insulated container and the like; where chilling or freezing is required, it shall also cover whether the number of ice packs can meet the storage requirement.

5.2.3.2 The delivery staff for online-ordered food shall check the type and quantity of the meals delivered, the markings for the time of processing and the time limit for consumption, the passenger train number and similar information, and shall sort the orders of different vendors for the same train service into separate packs.

6 Storage

6.1 General requirements. The relevant provisions of GB 31654 shall be met.

6.2.1 Food raw materials, semi-finished products and the like shall be kept on cupboards or racks and shall not be in direct contact with the floor. Food raw materials and semi-finished products shall be stored in separate areas.

6.2.2 Food raw materials, semi-finished products and pre-made meals for railway passenger trains that have to be hot held, chilled or frozen shall be kept in the hot-holding, refrigerating and freezing cabinets respectively, and the storage temperature shall meet the specified requirements.

6.3.1 Food in store shall be kept a suitable distance from the walls and the floor, so that harmful organisms cannot hide there and air can circulate.

6.3.2 Food in different states shall be separated by means of containers or individual packaging; the containers used and the packaging shall be tight, so that the food cannot be contaminated.

6.3.3 Pre-made meals for railway passenger trains shall be stored under the conditions given in their markings.

6.3.4 Storage equipment, tools and containers shall be kept hygienically clean.

7 Transport and delivery

7.1 The relevant provisions of GB 31654 or of GB 31605 shall be met.

7.2 The dedicated equipment and tools used to deliver food (boxes, bags, trolleys) shall be kept clean and shall be washed and disinfected periodically. They shall not be used to carry toxic or harmful substances, so that the food cannot be contaminated.

7.3 Before delivery it shall be confirmed that the food packaging is intact and clean, that the markings are complete and that the temperature of the food meets the requirement.

7.4 Where different foods are carried on the same vehicle, they shall be packed, separated or partitioned, and kept in an area that meets the storage temperature requirement for the food.

7.5 During delivery, ready-to-eat food shall be separated from food that is not ready to eat, and food that has to be kept cold from hot food, so that ready-to-eat food cannot be contaminated and the temperature of each kind of food meets the corresponding requirement.

7.6 Loading and unloading times shall be strictly controlled; when a container is opened, the working environment temperature shall be strictly controlled and the operation kept as short as possible, so that the food temperature does not go outside the specified range.

7.7 The time from the completion of processing of online-ordered food for railway passenger trains to its delivery to the train should not exceed 30 min.

7.8 Delivery staff shall not touch the food directly when handing over a meal.

8 Food safety control during meal processing and service in the dining car

8.1 General requirements. The relevant provisions of GB 31654 shall be met.

8.2.1 Primary processing of raw edible agricultural products shall not be carried out in the dining car.

8.2.2 It is forbidden to make decorated cream cakes, raw food, cold dishes containing ingredients of animal origin, freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices and the like.

8.2.3 Food waiting to be processed shall be inspected before cooking; where it is found to be spoiled or otherwise abnormal to the senses, it shall not be cooked.

8.2.4 The temperature and the time of cooking shall be such that food safety is assured. For meals that have to be cooked through, the core temperature of the food shall reach more than 70 degrees Celsius.

8.2.5 Finished products after processing shall be kept apart from raw materials and semi-finished products.

8.2.6 Sodium nitrite and other food additives whose use in catering is prohibited by the State shall not be used.

8.3.1 Before a pre-made meal for railway passenger trains is reheated, the integrity of the packaging and the sensory condition shall be checked; where the packaging is damaged or there is mould or another sensory abnormality, supply shall be stopped at once.

8.3.2 Pre-made meals for railway passenger trains are reheated in a microwave oven or by another heating method. The reheating power, temperature and time shall be chosen according to the type of meal and the number of meals heated at one time, so that the core temperature of the food after reheating reaches more than 70 degrees Celsius. A meal that has been reheated shall not be heated again.

8.3.3 A reheated meal shall not be kept at ambient temperature for more than 2 h.

8.4.1 Meals made in the dining car shall be portioned in the finished-product area of the dining car, shall be labelled with the time of processing and shall be sold within 2 h.

8.4.2 Dining car staff shall wear clean working clothes and caps; staff who handle ready-to-eat food shall wear a clean mask.

8.4.3 Once online-ordered food for railway passenger trains has been received on the train, it shall be delivered to the passenger within 30 min.

8.4.4 Effective protective measures shall be taken during service. Tableware and drinking vessels set out in the dining area in advance shall be kept from contamination.

8.5.1 After the train has reached its final destination and the crew duty has ended, the remaining semi-finished products, finished products and pre-made meals close to the end of their shelf life or time limit for consumption shall not be taken back for further processing or sale.

8.5.2 Food that has passed its shelf life or time limit for consumption, or that is abnormal to the senses, shall be kept in a dedicated area and marked for disposal. After the train has reached its final destination and the crew duty has ended, it shall be moved to a suitable place off the train, disposed of as waste, and a record made.

9 Training

The relevant provisions of GB 31654 shall be met.

10 Food safety management

10.1 General requirements. The relevant provisions of GB 31654 shall be met.

10.2.1 A food safety management system shall be set up and implemented as required.

10.2.2 Corresponding food safety control measures shall be drawn up and implemented for the handover and checking, the storage, the transport and delivery, the reheating, the supply service, the traceability and recall and the scrapping of pre-made meals for railway passenger trains.

10.2.3 Where a food safety incident occurs on a railway passenger train, the food, raw materials, tools, equipment and facilities that caused or may have caused the incident shall be sealed off at once; a report shall be made to the relevant railway departments as required; the investigation and handling shall be supported; and measures shall be taken to keep the situation from spreading.

10.3.1 The environment of the dining car and the facilities and equipment of every kind shall be maintained and cleaned periodically, and disinfected where necessary.

10.3.2 The methods of washing and disinfecting tableware and the points to note in their use shall comply with Annex B and Annex C of GB 31654. Tableware that has been washed and disinfected shall comply with GB 14934.

10.3.3 The disinfection of tableware shall be the responsibility of a designated person, with dedicated facilities; processing utensils and tableware shall be stored separately.

10.4 Personnel management. Food processing and delivery staff shall be in good health and shall maintain good personal hygiene.

10.5 Pest control. The dining car and the meal transfer store shall have corresponding measures to prevent harmful organisms from entering and breeding.

10.6.1 Kitchen waste shall be collected centrally, bagged and sealed, kept in a fixed place and put out at designated waste collection stations.

10.6.2 The dining car shall not dump waste at will.

10.7 Working clothes. Dedicated clean working clothing shall be provided for dining car staff, such as working coats, caps, masks and gloves.

10.8.1 Food safety self-inspection shall be carried out regularly, so that food safety hazards are found and removed in time and food safety incidents are prevented.

10.8.2 Where something is found that does not meet the food safety requirements, it shall be dealt with as required.

11 Management of records and documents

11.1 The relevant provisions of GB 31654 shall be met.

11.2 A record system shall be set up, recording as required the training and assessment of the staff, the checking of goods inward, the food safety self-inspection, the temperature of the storage and of the transport and delivery equipment, the handling of consumer complaints, the disposal of scrapped food, and the handling of abnormal situations.

11.3 Goods inward shall be recorded as required. Where goods are taken on part way through the journey, the name and quantity of the food and information on the supplier shall be recorded in detail.

11.4 The goods-inward inspection records and the related vouchers shall be kept.

12 Other

Other food trading activities on passenger trains are carried out in accordance with GB 31621.