Compliance Requirements for Ingredients of Foods Exported to China

When the food experts of REACH24H conduct compliance check of ingredients of imported food products, they often find some raw materials have no history of use in China. In addition, a large number of foods are rejected or destroyed at port due to illegal addition of ingredients. There are major differences in global food regulations and in this aspect China is no different. In a global context many raw materials and additives widely used and with long term safe consumption histories are not recognized in China. If companies wish to export their foods to China they must obey China’s rules and design products 100% compliant with Chinese regulations. How to determine whether ingredients can be used is of vital importance for accessing to the Chinese market.

Food ingredients are divided into raw materials and additives, which are further categorized into new food raw materials and new food additives respectively. If you want to learn more about how these product categories are regulated in China please refer to Chemlinked’s Foodpedia articles: New Food Raw Materials Regulation and Food Additive Regulation. 

The ingredient is not new in China is one of the following criteria is met: 

• Foodstuffs with over 30 years’ safe use history in China

• The list of food ingredients permitted in China

• The list of articles which are regarded as both food and traditional Chinese medicine

• The list of cultures that can be used in foods

• The list of cultures that can be used in baby foods

• The list of approved new food raw materials by NHFPC

• The list of raw materials approved to be used as common foods by NHFPC

• Corresponding national standards for specific products if have

To check the compliance of additives and nutritional fortification substances in foods, the following standards may be used:

• GB 2760-2011 Standards for Uses of Food Additives

• GB 14880-2012 Standards for Uses of Nutritional Fortification Substances in Foods

If ingredients are identified as existing, companies should also use it properly, such as the applicable scopes, maximum reside level, etc. according to the above standards. According to REACH24H food experts’ review experience, medical ingredients are also found in foods but are forbidden to be added in general foods (expect those in reference 3 ), such as coriander seed, urtica, etc.