An official from Pudong New Area Market Supervision Bureau (left) grants the business license on providing takeout food to a representative of Shanghai Yiheng Network Technology Co Ltd on March 17, 2016 in Shanghai. [Photo/Xinhua]

Shanghai authorities on Thursday issued the country's first-ever special business license to a local company engaged in providing takeout food through the Internet, Xinhua news agency reported.

Pudong New Area Market Supervision Bureau gave the license to Hema Waimai, a food company run by Shanghai Yiheng Network Technology Co Ltd, to allow it to receive online orders and provide takeout food.

The new special business license is very meaningful for authorities to supervise the online catering industry, the Xinhua report said.

Just two days ago, the country's state TV station China Central Television exposed some vendors providing takeout food through the online food delivery service ele.me had problems in food production and were false advertising.

On Wednesday, Shanghai's food and drug watchdog said that it has started an investigation into the Shanghai-based online food delivery start-up ele.me, a company that is currentyl facing fines.

Wang Zhiwen, a Shanghai official on business license, said the newly-issued special business license was just one of the country's food business licenses, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.

"It was the first to bring the online catering service as one type covered by the country's business licenses on food," Wang said. "But Hema Waima could only carry out online catering services with the license."

Zhang Lei, a Shanghai food and drug official, said that the new license was only issued to the vendors producing food, and that online food delivery services such as ele.me and meituan.com were not required to apply for the license.

Hema Waimai's CEO Zhang Haoming said that in applying for the license, his company had to meet the national standards on restaurants and also meet some standards on packaging, distribution, and delivery time.

"The sole difference to traditional restaurants is that his company has no dining areas," the CEO said.