China Customs Rejected 229 Batches of Imported Food in August 2023

On September 19, 2023, General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) published the list of non-compliant food products in August 2023. A total of 229 batches of imported food from 37 countries/regions were rejected.

Most non-compliant imported food in August came from Japan (18.3%, mostly beverages and snacks), followed by South Korea (9.6%, mostly grain products) and Indonesia (7.0%, mostly aquatic products). The major reasons for import rejections were as follows:

• Unqualified labeling (16.6%)

• Lack of inspection & quarantine permit (14.4%)

• Lack of required documents or evidential materials (12.7%)

• Excessive use of food additives/nutritional fortification substances (12.2%)

• Exceeded expiry date (9.6%)

Noteworthy Products 

1. Dairy products 

A batch of low-fat milk from New Zealand was rejected due to spoilage, while yogurt from Greece failed customs clearance for containing animal-sourced ingredients that had not been approved for inspection and quarantine. For detailed information on the inspection and quarantine requirements for imported dairy products in China, please refer to ChemLinked News.   

2. Sports nutrition 

In August, 17 batches of sports nutrition products, specifically whey protein powder products, were rejected by China Customs. Among these, 9 products from Italy failed due to unqualified labeling, while 8 products from the U.S. were rejected for exceeding their expiration dates. When it comes to labeling sports nutrition products, they should primarily adhere to GB 13432 Labeling of Prepackaged Foods for Special Dietary Uses. Additionally, GB 24154-2015 General Standard for Sports Nutrition Food, stipulates additional labeling requirements such as indicating “sports nutrition food” and relevant product category in the principal display panel of the label.