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

On February 21, 2023, General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) published the list of non-compliant food products in January of 2023. A total of 162 batches of imported food from 31 countries/regions were rejected.

Most non-compliant imported food in January came from the U.S. (19.1%, mostly meat and alcohol), followed by Japan (17.3%, mostly snacks) and Hong Kong, China (9.9%, mostly beverages). The major reasons for import rejection were:

Unqualified labeling (20.4%)
Discrepancy between cargo and certificate (18.5%)
Lack of required documents or evidential materials (16.7%)
Lack of inspection & quarantine permit (8.6%)
Exceeding the use of food additives/nutritional fortification substances (8.0%)

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Noteworthy Products

1. Dairy products

Three batches of dairy products failed customs clearance in January. Details are as follows:

Product type	Country of origin	Reasons for rejection	Suggestions
Processed cheese (SH12)	Singapore	The number of total bacterial colony and yeast exceeded the limits.	The product shall comply with the microorganism limits specified in GB 25192-2022 Processed Cheese and Cheese Products
Lactoferrin formulated milk powder	U.S.	Lack of required documents or evidential materials.	Please refer to China Dairy Regulations
Lactoferrin formulated milk powder	Australia	The protein content failed to meet the standard.	The product shall comply with the protein content value specified in GB 19644-2010 Milk Powder

2. Probiotic product

In January, a batch of probiotic supplement products from South Korea was rejected for unqualified labeling. In Chinese legislations, the labeling requirements for general prepackaged food also apply to health supplements. Besides, health supplements are subject to additional labeling requirements. Please refer to China Health Food Regulation for more information.