Nation to regulate online products as virtual market thrives

SHANGHAI - Living alone and working hard in Shanghai, Wang Qian used to buy a dozen self-heating instant hotpots every month, but is now more cautious about them.

A hit on e-commerce platforms, the small bento-box dish, which costs no more than 50 yuan ($7.4), became extremely popular among young Chinese white-collar workers.

The small bento-box instant hotpot is composed of an inner layer holding half-cooked vegetables and meat and an outer layer with heating materials at the bottom, which can release heat after combining with cold water. A mini hotpot can be prepared within 10 minutes.