PRC import inspection authorities point to labeling as one of the major reasons for noncompliance reports.  Labeling and marking requirements are created by different industry authorities. All products sold in the PRC must be marked in the Chinese language.

Chinese regulators require imported and exported (but not domestic) food items such as candy, wine, nuts, canned food, and cheese to have labels verified and products tested for quality before a good can be imported or exported.

Many products imported to China must receive a China Compulsory Certification (CCC) marking before sale. Products requiring the CCC mark, in addition to undergoing an application and testing process, must have the mark physically applied on products before entering or being sold in China. Many electronic products require the CCC mark.  For more information on the CCC mark, please see the below “Standards for Trade” section.

According to the Food Labeling Standards of China (GB7718-2011), imported foods shall have clear markings that indicate the country of origin, in addition to the name and address of the general distributor registered in the country, among other information. Please note that these labeling standards vary depending on the type of imported food, and are communicated in The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) Decree 249 which entered into force on January 1, 2022; the decree is summarized in a U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service’s FAIRS report.

Pursuant to the PRC’s 2015 Food Safety Law, pre-packaged food must be labeled and must include the following information:

• Name, specification, net content, and date of production
• Table of ingredients or formulation
• Producer name, address and contact information
• Shelf life
• Code of product standard(s)
• Storage requirements
• Generic name of the food additives as used in the national standard
• Production License Number
• Other information that must be indicated in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and food safety standards.

The labels of staple and supplementary foods for infant consumption and other specific populations must also list main nutritional ingredients and their contents. A series of national food safety standards were developed to provide specific guidance in product labelling:

In addition, in December 2016, the China Food and Drug Administration (whose responsibilities have now been incorporated into the State Administration for Market Regulation) began requiring infant formula powder producers to review their infant formula labels and ensure that labels are in compliance with the relevant laws, regulations, rules, and standards. More specific information is provided in the Infant Formula section of the FAS FAIRS Country Report.

Labeling of agriculture biotech products is governed by the Administrative Measures for Agricultural GMO, which is discussed in Section VII of FAS FAIRS Country Report.