China Unveils Administrative Measures for Supervision of Food Labeling, Complementing GB 7718-2025 to Strengthen Labeling Oversight

On March 27, 2025, State Administration for Market Supervision (SAMR) released the Administrative Measures for Supervision of Food Labeling. The Measures are designed to regulate the labeling practices of food manufacturers and operators, ensuring that food labels are clear and informative for consumers. Specific labeling requirements, such as font size, are not covered under GB 7718-2025 and are instead outlined by the Measures. The Measures will come into effect on March 16, 2027.

Key Contents of the Measures

1. Requirements for production date and expiry date are strengthened.

For single-layer packaging as the smallest sales unit, the production date should be based on the completion date of the packaging process. For multi-layer packaging as the smallest sales unit, the production date should be based on the completion date of the packaging process that directly contacts the food. If sterilization, fermentation, or other processes are required after packaging, the completion date of the corresponding process can be used as the production date. For smallest sales units with multiple independent packages, the expiry date of the food with the earliest expiry should be marked, or each expiry date should be individually labeled.

The production date and expiration date of prepackaged food must be clearly marked in a dedicated area on the packaging, ensuring that the printed dates are not easily removed or erased. If this dedicated area is not located on the main display panel, the main display panel must include a clear and accurate indication, such as "See [specific part] of the package", to guide consumers. The section where the date is printed must be easy to locate. In terms of the color, the information must be clearly marked in black text on a white background or with a similar contrasting color scheme. Regarding font size, the height of the text for the production date and expiry date must be at least 3.0 mm. However, for pre-packaged food with a maximum surface area of less than 35 cm², the text height for the production date and expiry date should be at least 2.0 mm.

GB 7718-2011		The Administrative Measures
Maximum surface area	Height of Text and Numbers of production dates and expiry dates	Maximum surface area	Height of Text and Numbers of production dates and expiry dates
＞35 cm²	≥ 1.8 mm	≥35 cm²	≥ 3 mm
		＜35 cm²	≥ 2 mm

2. Stricter font size requirements are introduced on pre-packaged food.

The text, symbols, numbers, and pattern colors on the labels of prepackaged food should be in stark contrast with the background color to ensure clear reading. All mandatory labeling items on pre-packaged food must be marked with text, symbols, and numbers at a minimum height of 1.8 mm. Additionally, the ratio of font height to width must not exceed 3 to ensure proper legibility. For pre-packaged food with a maximum surface area greater than 150 cm², all text, symbols, and numbers, excluding those in the nutrition facts panel, must be at least 2.0 mm in height. For products with a maximum surface area exceeding 400 cm², the minimum height requirement for such labeling elements increases to 2.5 mm.

GB 7718-2011		The Administrative Measures
Maximum surface area	Height of Text and Numbers (excluding production dates and expiry dates)	Maximum surface area	Height of Text and Numbers (excluding production dates and expiry dates)
＞35 cm²	≥ 1.8 mm	≤ 150 cm²	≥ 1.8 mm
		> 150 cm²	≥ 2 mm （excluding nutrition information panel）
		> 400 cm²	≥ 2.5 mm （excluding nutrition information panel）

3. Food name should indicate the true nature of the food's properties.

Food products made from animal-derived ingredients must have names that accurately reflect their composition. If the name highlights a specific type of meat, that ingredient must be the primary raw material. If only one type of meat is mentioned, all raw materials must come exclusively from that source. If multiple types are listed, they must appear in descending order based on their proportion in the product.
For plant-based products that imitate animal-derived foods, the name must include terms such as "imitation" (仿), "vegetarian" (素), or the specific plant ingredient used.
If a food product does not actually contain a certain ingredient but instead uses food flavorings to replicate its taste, and the product name reflects that flavor, the name must include terms such as "flavored" (某味) or "with [flavor] taste" (某风味) to ensure clarity for consumers.

4. Requirements are specified for infant formula, health food, and food for special medical purposes (FSMP).

In a separate chapter, the regulation sets forth specific labeling requirements for infant formula, health food and FSMP. Labels and instructions for these special foods must comply with relevant laws, regulations, rules, national food safety standards, as well as product registration and filing requirements. Any content that involves registration certificates or filing documents must be consistent with the labels and instructions for special foods.

5. Labeling requirements are clarified for foods sold via the internet.

Food manufacturers and operators selling pre-packaged food via the internet must display key labeling information on the main sales page. This includes the product name, net content, ingredients or ingredient list, shelf life, product standard code, storage conditions, producer's name and address, and any special food registration or filing information.

Except for dynamic information, such as production date and expiry date, the labeling information displayed on the main sales page must be consistent with the actual food labels on the product being sold.

6. Restrictions are set for food products intended for minors.

Food labeling must not claim that a product is suitable for minors or deceive or mislead consumers unless there is a law, regulation, national food safety standard, or industry standard to support such claims.

7. Labels are prohibited to describe food products in a deceptive, false, exaggerated, or misleading manner.

Food labels must not explicitly or implicitly suggest disease prevention or treatment functions. Products other than health foods must not explicitly or implicitly indicate health benefits or efficacy. Labels must not describe or introduce food products in a deceptive, false, exaggerated, or misleading manner. Additionally, labels must not claim that the product is "specially supplied" or "exclusively supplied" to government or military organizations. Descriptions that endorse feudal superstitions, contradict scientific knowledge, or violate public order and good customs are also prohibited.

8. Different penalties are introduced for food label violations.

Based on the severity of the violations, different penalties for food label violations will be applied. For instance, for violations related to misleading labeling or failure to comply with labeling standards, local market supervision departments may impose fines between 1,000 to 30,000 yuan, depending on the severity of the infraction. If food labels make false claims, such as claiming a food has therapeutic or disease-preventing properties, penalties can include fines from 10,000 to 30,000 yuan, with more severe cases resulting in fines of 30,000 to 100,000 yuan.