(Yicai Global) Sept. 6 -- A netizen's recent post on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo about Hema Fresh, Alibaba Group's grocery chain, throwing away food not sold on the day has sparked a heated online debate in China.

Responding on its Zhihu account of Sept. 4, Hema Fresh said it was faced with a dilemma. To ensure the freshness of its produce, the firm's quality control department regularly removes food nearing the end of its shelf life, which is then dealt with according to local regulations.

Some commentators online said that such dumping of food wastes resources, while many key opinion leaders on Weibo believe that the practice is necessary and responsible.

The company has no choice but to destroy the food, Hema Fresh said, adding that it has tried to minimize any loss. The firm strives to strike a best balance between the size of orders and actual sales since stopping the loss at source is certainly the best way to avoid waste. But there is still room for improvement, Hema said.

Companies must not sell expired food, which is the bottom line for food safety, Gu Zhenhua, president of the Shanghai Food Safety Federation, told Shanghai News Radio. It is understandable that firms destroy expiring goods to avoid risks, Gu added.