China Food Importation: AQSIQ to Implement Tiered Management of Imported Foods at Ports

On Sep. 28, 2015, China AQSIQ announced “Administrative Measures for Inspection and Supervision of Imported Foods at Port”, which will be open for public consultation until Oct. 29, 2015. “Detailed Rules for the Administration of Bad Records of Imported Foods” will be simultaneously repealed upon implementation of this new regulation.

Applicable scope:

This regulation applies to imported foods excluding food additives, food related products, fresh fruits, wheat, barley, rye, corn, soybean, potato, rapeseed, tapioca chips, and live animals.

Tiered management of imported foods:

Under general circumstances, local CIQs will conduct field inspection and sampling inspection of imported foods. If any products are found unqualified or pose potential health and safety danger risk during regular surveillance, AQSIQ will publish risk alert information, and conduct stricter regulatory control over relevant enterprises or the exporting countries (districts).

Food products will be detained in a designated place as outlined by local CIQs to guard against any further risks if there is still any index discovered unqualified under stricter surveillance. Importation will be suspended if the defective ratio is above 5% if the import volume is more than 60 batches within the last 12 months.

Food enterprise obligations:

Every batch of imported foods should be declared to local CIQs and accompanied by relevant qualification certification materials in the 5 day period before the products arrive at port.

Importers are obliged to establish an import and sale record system and implement a whole process traceability system for imported foods.

Importers are also required to examine overseas food exporters and manufacturers in terms of their qualifications, product compliance and food safety control system.