The new standards set by the China Cuisine Association on roadside breakfast stalls have sparked a public debate on their perceived threat to the livelihoods of low-income families who rely on selling morning meals to busy workers.

But the association, which drafted the standards, on Tuesday moved to quell suggestions that the measures would drive many vendors out of business.

The standards, due to take effect on May 1, encourage breakfast stalls to run under chain caterers that have standardized processing and delivery centers, and uniform logos and services.

The move prompted hundreds of Internet users to post messages on major websites, some hailing the new standards as a stimulus to improve food quality, but most objecting to their implementation.

The fast pace of life in China's cities has forced many people to grab a quick bite at a roadside stall on their way to work. Many low-income families and laid-off workers make a living by selling breakfasts on roadsides.

On Sina.com, one of China's main news portals, a reader from central Hubei province said the new standards would force many low-income families relying on breakfast sales out of business.

However, the China Cuisine Association on Tuesday said the standards had been misinterpreted in newspaper reports.

"The aim of the new standards is not to bury independent breakfast vendors under hygiene qualifications, but to provide a preferred standard that vendors can refer to," association deputy secretary Qiao Jie told Xinhua.

"Of course, we also hope the measures can help further standardize and regulate the sector," said Qiao.

"The standards suggest minimum requirements for running a breakfast stall and put it under stricter monitoring, which might have been misinterpreted by some readers as the government driving out all breakfast stalls and carts," says Qiao.

"The text of the standards has yet to be finalized, so it is too early to predict or quote them in part as this might be misleading," said a spokesman with the Ministry of Commerce, adding the official stance would only be known when government released the full text.

"As long as the vendors have hygiene qualifications, they don't have to worry," says Qiao.

(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2008)