By MLex Staff ( April 20, 2026, 07:47 GMT | Insight) -- China’s market regulator has fined seven major online platforms a combined 3.6 billion yuan ($527.5 million) for “ghost kitchen” violations, including confiscation of illegal gains, as authorities move to address disorderly competition in the online food-delivery sector. The fines cover Pinduoduo, Meituan, JD.com, Douyin and Alibaba’s Ele.me, Taobao and Tmall, with Pinduoduo receiving the largest penalty at more than 1.5 billion yuan. The penalties mark the largest imposed in the food-safety sector since the Food Safety Law was revised in 2015.China’s market regulator has fined seven major online platforms a combined 3.6 billion yuan ($527.5 million) for “ghost kitchen” violations, including confiscation of illegal gains, as authorities move to address disorderly competition in the food-delivery sector....
Prepare for tomorrow’s regulatory change, today
MLex identifies risk to business wherever it emerges, with specialist reporters across the globe providing exclusive news and deep-dive analysis on the proposals, probes, enforcement actions and rulings that matter to your organization and clients, now and in the longer term.
Know what others in the room don’t, with features including:
- Daily newsletters for Antitrust, M&A, Trade, Data Privacy & Security, Technology, AI and more
- Custom alerts on specific filters including geographies, industries, topics and companies to suit your practice needs
- Predictive analysis from expert journalists across North America, the UK and Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific
- Curated case files bringing together news, analysis and source documents in a single timeline
Experience MLex today with a 14-day free trial.