Abstract: Pre-made dishes industry, as an important area which promotes the high-quality development of rural industry is highly concerned by the Party and the state. Ensuring food safety of pre-made dishes is related to the core interests of people’s lives and health. However, along with the booming development of the industry, food safety of pre-made dishes has also exposed the problems of unclear standard system, the incomplete certification system, flaws in the traceability system, and faults in the regulatory system. Based on the empirical investigation of China’s central and local normative legal documents about food safety, the realistic dilemma of food safety of pre-made dishes is clarified, and from the macro, meso and micro perspectives, the path of law guarantees for ensuring food safety of pre-made dishes is stated. Rules of law on clarifying food safety standard system, completing food safety certification system, optimizing food safety traceability system, and improving food safety supervision system should be established.

Key words: pre-made dishes, food safety, empirical investigation, rule of law response