China Customs Rejected 156 Batches of Imported Food in February 2023

On March 28, 2023, General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) published the list of non-compliant food products in February of 2023. A total of 156 batches of imported food from 33 countries/regions were rejected.

Most non-compliant imported food in February came from the U.S. (17.3%, mostly alcohol), followed by Russia (12.2%, mostly honey and snacks) and South Korea (9.7%, mostly beverages and canned meat). The major reasons for import rejection were:

Unqualified labeling (35.3%)
Microbial contamination (14.7%)
Lack of inspection & quarantine permit (9.6%)
Discrepancy between cargo and certificate (7.7%)
Exceeding the use of food additives/nutritional fortification substances (5.1%)

Noteworthy Products

1. Dairy products

A batch of cheese from Italy failed customs clearance for exceeding the shelf life.

2. Baby food

Two batches of cereal-based complementary baby food were rejected for unqualified labeling. Relevant requirements are specified in refer to GB 10769-2010 Cereal-based Complementary Foods for Infants and Young Children. Apart from labeling requirements stipulated in GB 13432-2013 Labeling of Prepackaged Foods for Special Dietary Uses, cereal-based complementary baby foods need to carry a statement as "for consumption with milk or other appropriate nutritious liquids" or similar text on the label.

3. Probiotic drink

A batch of probiotic drink from Hong Kong, China was rejected for unqualified labeling. For probiotics drinks, in addition to the labeling requirements for ordinary prepackaged food, the Chinese names and addition level of strains must be indicated on the label. For regulatory requirements for probiotic products in China, please refer to:

More analysis on customs clearance in 2023 can be found below:

China Customs Rejected 162 Batches of Imported Food in January 2023, Including Milk Powder & Probiotics