China Customs’ New Stipulations and Regulations for Labels of Imported Food
On April 12, 2021, General Administration of China Customs issued PRC Measures for the Administration of Food Safety for Import & Export(Hereunder referred to as the Measures) which was Order # 249 of General Administration of China customs. Therein, new stipulations has been made on labels for imported food. Here today, Seahog, an experienced China customs broker, will look further into the new changes.
The Historical Evolution of the Stipulations on Imported Food Labels
On Oct. 1, 2019, General Administration of China Customs released # 70 Announcement which canceled the Chinese label filing requirement for pre-packed food imported for the first time.
On April 12, 2021, General Administration of China Customs published the Measures which made new stipulations on the labels for imported fresh frozen meat, imported aquatic products, imported health care products and imported special diets.
The Making Background of the New Stipulations on Imported Food Labels.
Article # 30 of the Measures regulates Imported Food Labels
01 The packing, labels and marks of imported food shall conform to relevant Chinese laws and regulations and Chinese National Standards for Food Safety. Those shall have instruction book according to relevant laws, shall come with instruction book. The stipulation carries on the general requirements of Food Safety Law on labels for common imported food. No changes have been made. 
02 The internal/external packing of imported fresh frozen meat shall have Chinese vs English labels or Chinese vs local language of export country/region labels that are firm, clear and legible. Contents that the labels shall indicate include: country/region of origin, name of goods, registration number of manufacturer, production batch. External packing shall indicate specifications, place of origin(shall be specific to state/province/city), place of destination, production date, expiry date, storage temperature in Chinese, and shall mark place of destination as the People's Republic of China in Chinese, and shall stamp with the official inspection and quarantine mark of exporting country/region.
The above mentioned stipulations follow the label requirements for imported fresh frozen meat as stipulated on Order #136 of former State General Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine announced on Jan.4, 2011 and the Inspection & Quarantine Supervision Administration Measures for Imported Fresh Frozen Meat which were amended in accordance with Order #243 of General Administration of China Customs issued on Nov. 23, 2018. As the said Inspection & Quarantine Supervision Administration Measures was abolished along with the release of the Measures, the label requirements for imported fresh frozen meat are embodied in the above stipulations. 
03 The internal/external packing of imported aquatic products shall have Chinese vs English labels or Chinese vs local language of export country/region labels that are firm, clear and legible. Contents that the labels shall indicate include: trade name, scientific name, specifications, production date, batch number, expiry date, preserve conditions, production method(sea fishing, freshwater fishing or aquaculturing), production area(sea area of fishing, country/region of freshwater fishing, or country/region of aquaculturing), the address(shall be specific to state/province/city) , registration number and name of all involved production and processing enterprises including fishing vessel, processing vessel, transporting vessel, refrigeration house. The labels shall also indicate that the place of destination as the People's Republic of China in Chinese.
The above mentioned stipulations follow the label requirements for imported aquatic products as stipulated on Order #135 of former State General Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine announced on Jan.4, 2011 and the Inspection & Quarantine Supervision Administration Measures for Imported & Exported Aquatic Products which were amended in accordance with Order #243 of General Administration of China Customs issued on Nov. 23, 2018. As the said Inspection & Quarantine Supervision Administration Measures for Imported & Exported Aquatic Products was abolished along with the release of the Measures, the label requirements for imported aquatic products are embodied in the above stipulations. 
04 Chinese labels for imported health care products and imported special diets MUST be printed onto the smallest selling packages, and shall not be pasted onto, which aims to protect the food safety and health of specific consuming groups. 
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