Chinese Shandong Issues Guidelines to Standardize On-site Inspections of Cosmetics Production

On December 29, 2025, the Shandong Provincial Food and Drug Administration released the Shandong Province Cosmetics Production On-site Inspection Work Guidelines to further standardize and improve the quality of on-site inspections of cosmetics manufacturers across the province. The Guidelines aim to strengthen inspectors’ understanding of legal compliance requirements and provide clear, systematic guidance for inspection activities. The Guidelines comprehensively outline inspection requirements, including the scope of application, legal basis, inspection categories and methods, inspector qualifications and responsibilities, inspection preparation, on-site procedures, key inspection points, and post-inspection handling. They require at least two inspectors for each on-site inspection, implement a team leader responsibility system, and emphasize professional competence, ethical conduct, integrity, and confidentiality. They also detail standardized inspection procedures, from inspection planning and enterprise entry to opening and closing meetings, documentation, use of law enforcement recording equipment, written confirmation of findings, and protection of the inspected entity’s rights to statements and defenses. Post-inspection, the Guidelines establish a closed-loop supervision mechanism. Depending on risk levels, authorities may order corrective actions within a time limit, suspend production, initiate investigations, conduct accountability interviews, or record violations in credit files. Enterprises must submit rectification reports, with regulators organizing follow-up reviews where necessary. The Guidelines further clarify requirements for disclosure of inspection results and archiving of inspection records to enhance transparency and traceability.