Cover Story: A Recipe for Satisfaction After Diners Express Doubts Over Pre-Cooked Meals

A heated public dispute between celebrity influencer Luo Yonghao and restaurant chain Xibei has spotlighted China’s rapidly expanding pre-made meal industry, igniting public concerns about food transparency, prompting regulatory investigation, and generating significant debate over food safety and standards. Luo criticized Xibei for serving expensive yet pre-made dishes and demanded clear labeling laws to indicate when meals are not freshly prepared. Xibei’s founder, Jia Guolong, denied the use of “pre-made” meals under current definitions, despite admitting reliance on centralized kitchens and pre-processed ingredients, and threatened legal action against Luo. The situation worsened when public footage revealed Xibei using vacuum-packed meal components with long shelf lives, leading to a public apology from the company and a promise to increase in-restaurant meal preparation. The dispute underscores the widening gap between traditional expectations for freshly cooked meals and the increasingly industrialized realities of food service, with many consumers unaware of how their meals are prepared [para. 1][para. 2][para. 3][para. 4][para. 5][para. 6][para. 7][para. 8][para. 9][para. 10].

China’s pre-cooked meal market, valued at 419.6 billion yuan ($59 billion) in 2022, is projected to surpass 1 trillion yuan by 2026. Yet regulatory oversight lags behind industry growth. In response to the Luo-Xibei feud, the Chinese State Council in September 2024 directed ministries to accelerate the drafting of national standards and emphasized mandatory meal-preparation disclosure by restaurants. However, experts say more robust amendments to China’s Food Safety Law are still needed, as current regulations provide little coverage for pre-prepared foods [para. 11][para. 12][para. 13][para. 14][para. 15].

The industry’s boom was accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which shifted consumer habits toward home deliveries and convenience, and motivated restaurants to control costs and ensure quality through standardized, pre-cooked components. Delivery now constitutes over half the revenue for many establishments, where the speed of service precludes full scratch cooking. This trend is especially prevalent among chains and franchises seeking efficiency and scalability. The disconnect between consumer expectations and restaurant practices was thrust into the public eye by the Xibei dispute, highlighting confusion over the definition of “pre-cooked,” recently clarified in a March 2024 regulatory notice. Pre-cooked meals are now officially recognized as industrially prepared, non-preserved dishes requiring further heating, though items made in central kitchens and delivered to outlets are excluded from this definition [para. 16][para. 17][para. 18][para. 19][para. 20][para. 21][para. 22][para. 23][para. 24][para. 25][para. 26][para. 27][para. 28][para. 29].

Despite attempts at regulation, the lack of unified national standards leaves the market fragmented, with over 40 local, 69 group, and 100-plus company-specific standards creating a confusing landscape for both consumers and businesses. This regulatory patchwork complicates food safety oversight and undermines trust in the sector [para. 30][para. 31][para. 32].

Calls for greater transparency are growing. Though the 2024 regulatory notice encourages labeling pre-cooked items, it stops short of making disclosure mandatory. Some industry figures and legal scholars argue for an obligation to clearly disclose whether meals are fully freshly prepared, semi-prepared, or entirely pre-cooked and merely reheated. Early adopters, like Lao Xiang Ji restaurant, already label dishes according to preparation levels, and analysts believe clear disclosure would help realign prices and expectations, and restore consumer trust [para. 33][para. 34][para. 35][para. 36][para. 37][para. 38][para. 39][para. 40][para. 41].

The controversy also highlights serious safety concerns about industrial pre-cooking, such as plasticizer contamination found in a vast majority of tested samples. Several provinces, including Shandong and Sichuan, have recently implemented rules mandating quality controls and clarifying regulatory oversight. Experts advocate for comprehensive legislation to standardize safety, liability, and transparent business practices, warning that one-size-fits-all rules may not suit the complex industry. They argue that a more nuanced, risk-based regulatory system is vital for consumer trust and sustainable industry growth [para. 42][para. 43][para. 44][para. 45][para. 46][para. 47][para. 48][para. 49][para. 50].