THE city’s food safety watchdog yesterday issued a directive to regulate third-party meal delivery websites.

Under the new rules, which were compiled in association with the Internet administration bureau, online firms will be punished and could face closure if they offer food from unlicensed restaurants or producers, the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration said.

That means operators are now required to check the business licenses and health certificates of all companies included on their websites, and must also publish those companies’ registered addresses, it said.