China Import Food Regulation & Labeling

CCIC Netherlands provides you with consulting services and labeling verification for food product exported to China.

Regulation and labeling compliance is very important for customs inspection and clearance when it comes to imported food products. China has strict requirements for product labeling, and information a label carries has direct impact on business activities such as importing and marketing.

The definition of food label in the Chinese national standard includes all words (Chinese characters), graphics, symbols, and all descriptive contents. Therefore, Chinese food labeling is not just about the nutrition value label, but it involves the complete food packaging.

China national standards GB7718 and GB28050 contain general rules for pre-packaged food on: label content, label layout, nutritional values and nutritional claims. Failure to comply with these rules, even with seemingly small inaccuracies, may potentially lead to very costly consequences. Format errors, incorrect food additive names, lack of contact information of a local representative, wrong nutrient test results are among main reasons for non-compliance and rejection by the Chinese authorities.

Every food product also has their own GB national standards with specific quality requirements. The Chinese national standards can have very different categorization methods and quality requirements compared to the European standards, and Chinese food standards often have cross-references with other GB standards. Not having a clear understanding of the Chinese standards of the product you are exporting to China is one of the most costly mistakes that can happen.

Last but not the least, different local authorities in China may have different interpretation on the regulations and different control measures on import requirements. Exporting to different areas of China shall each be treated as an individual case in order to avoid potential issues.

What can CCIC Netherlands do for you for exporting food products to China?

CCIC Netherlands provides clients with hand-to-hand guidance of understanding and conforming to the Chinese food laws, regulation and standards; and to formulate and design product labels that meet Chinese regulations.

Our services include, but not limited to:

  • Tailored Chinese food laws, regulation and standards consulting and training;
  • Food export assessment;
  • Producer/exporter registration support;
  • Food quality pre-testing and nutrition values testing;
  • Label design assistance;
  • Label review;
  • Label registration at the corresponding authorities.

 

Contact Us

Email: marketing@ccicnl.com

Phone: +31 10 2064 880