The Tianjin Administration for Market Regulation has delivered a “one-two punch” to strengthen supervision of the production and operation of dietary supplement and standardize the production and operation of enterprises. All this aims to ensure the order of the dietary supplement market and protect the legal rights and interests of consumers during the prevention and control of pneumonia infected by the novel coronavirus.

? Implement the primary responsibility of enterprises. Dietary supplement companies shall strictly fulfill the responsibility as “principal persons” to ensure the quality of dietary supplement going on sale is standard, the source and destination can be traceable, and the responsibility can be pursued.

? Standardize the production of enterprises. Dietary supplement companies shall arrange production in accordance with the requirements of the Good Manufacturing Practice of Dietary Supplement and approval documents of dietary supplement. The production workshop shall be cleared and disinfected, production shall not be allowed without disinfection facilities and unqualified products shall not be delivered out of the factory. Dietary supplement companies shall restore production by reporting to the city- and district-level market regulators until ensuring compliance with the production conditions.

? Standardize the sales of enterprises. Dietary supplement companies shall not take a “free ride” in the name of prevention and control of the novel coronavirus to falsely or exaggeratedly advertise especially of dietary supplement to improve immunity; they shall not express explicitly nor implicitly that the dietary supplement they produce is immune to the novel coronavirus so as to make a quick buck; they shall not carry out fraud and false advertising in the form of online sales, telemarketing, award-winning promotion and sales rebate. The above illegal acts shall be severely punished in accordance with the law.

? Abide by the price order. Dietary supplement manufacturers shall not collude to drive up prices and manipulate market price; they shall not commit illegal acts such as spreading the price increase, hoarding to drive up price, not marking the price clearly and price fraud. The above illegal acts shall be severely punished in accordance with the law.

? Step up law enforcement. The city- and district-level market regulators shall implement the “strictest” measures, featuring rigorous standards, strict supervision, serious punishments and an authoritative accountability system. Activities in violation of laws or regulations shall be severely punished and cases of suspected criminal activity shall be transferred to public security organs.