Xingcheng Turbot

Xingcheng Turbot

Xingcheng Turbot is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Turbot belongs to the flatfish family Pleuronectidae of the order Pleuronectiformes, commonly known as the European flounder, and is called “duobao fish” in China. Its body is flat and nearly round, with both eyes on the left side. The eyed side is bluish-brown with a few small scales; the blind side is smooth and white. The dorsal and anal fins are long and lack hard spines. Male turbot reach sexual maturity at one year old, while females mature at two years, with the natural maturation period occurring between May and August each year. In artificially bred broodstock, under controlled temperature and light conditions, mature eggs can be obtained year-round. Currently, artificial insemination methods are used for breeding.

　　　　In early November 2006, traces of drug residues were found in turbot in Shanghai. Beijing authorities took this matter very seriously and increased sampling inspections of turbot. Subsequent tests detected drug residues in three samples. In the interest of consumer safety, on November 20, the Beijing Municipal Food Safety Office implemented temporary control measures on turbot across the city, in accordance with the “Beijing Food Safety Supervision and Management Regulations.”

　　　　The implementation of these temporary control measures caused significant repercussions in turbot-producing regions. Xingcheng City, which boasts specialized turbot farming parks, took the matter very seriously. Local government departments visited Beijing multiple times to understand the city’s food safety policies and requirements, and actively took steps to further standardize management: First, they fully leveraged the self-regulatory role of the fisheries farming association to improve internal management mechanisms; second, they established pre-market holding ponds — seven days before going to market, designated personnel from the fisheries farming association would take a required number of samples from the products awaiting sale and send them to a nationally accredited testing institution for itemized testing according to standards; third, once sample tests were passed, the association would issue an origin certificate, test report, and other qualification certificates bearing its official seal, which would accompany the turbot into the sales process.

　　　　The Beijing Municipal Food Safety Office conducted a comprehensive and thorough review of Xingcheng’s turbot farming parks and carefully examined the origin certificates, test reports, and other qualification documents issued by them. It concluded that the turbot met the requirements for entering the Beijing market, making Xingcheng Turbot among the first products permitted for sale in Beijing after the temporary measures were enacted.

　　 On March 28, 2012, the “Xingcheng Turbot” trademark successfully passed the preliminary announcement by the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and was officially registered as a national geographical indication certification trademark.