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The usage and maximum residue limits (MRLs) for plant growth regulators (PGRs) in foodstuffs are social issues widely concerned by the public and various stakeholders. This paper overviews the latest updates on PGRs in the Chinese national food safety standard, MRLs for pesticides in foods (GB 2763—2019), and conducted a matching analysis with domestic PGR registration and application. Furthermore, the PGR MRLs among China, Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), USA, Japan and EU were compared. The main findings and suggestions were given in this review. Firstly, the domestic standard covers almost half (41.7%) registered PGR active ingredients, which surpasses CAC.Secondly, the domestic standard basically contains staple crops, but the product categories and their classification stipulated in the standard are not as rich and detailed as those in EU and Japan. Especially for minor crops and foodstuffs of animal origin. The standard system for PGRs still needs to be further improved. Thirdly, the domestic standard is not aligned to international standards in some extent, and may have less influence on international trade. Finally, suggestions were put forward to improve the MRL standard system of PGRs, such as synchronising the MRL standard with the pesticide registration, and acting on the international convention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese cooking is popular in contemporary Japan. It is also a favourite subject of gastronomic writings that discuss not only the cooking techniques and ingredients but also the cultural meaning of the cuisine. This paper analyses the central concerns of this literature and points out its broader cultural-political implications. It contends that Japanese writings on Chinese food share a set of common concerns with the fat and spices in the food as well as its authenticity and cultural meaning. It demonstrates that this gastro-cultural discourse continually seeks to affirm, deny and transcend the putative characteristics of Chinese food. It further argues that such writings that seek to distinguish Chinese from Japanese foodways constitute a gastronomic version of nihonjinron or Japanese discourse on themselves. Finally, it points out that gastronomic nihonjinron lends support to Japan's current effort to reassert its identity/independence vis-a-vis a “rising China”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]