On April 18, 2025, China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) published its list of non-compliant imported food products for March 2025. A total of 231 batches from 40 countries and regions were denied entry, marking a 13.5% decrease compared to the previous month and an 8.0% decline year-on-year.
Significantly, this is the fourth consecutive month of decline since the number of rejected imports peaked in November 2024. Analysts suggest the downward trend may be influenced by external factors, including adjustments to U.S. tariff policies.
The majority of non-compliant imports came from the U.S. (23%), Spain ranked second (9.1%), Brazil (8.2%), and Denmark (7.8%). Key reasons for import rejections included:
- Non-compliance with national food standards
- Discrepancy between cargo and certificates
- Detection of animal diseases
- Unqualified labeling
- Food spoilage
Compressed candies have become a common category for import rejections in China, primarily due to the excessive or unauthorized use of nutritional fortifiers.
Many overseas compressed candy products include high levels of various vitamins and minerals in their formulations. However, Chinese regulations impose strict limitations on the use of nutritional fortifiers in candy products. In some cases, certain nutrients are either completely prohibited or permitted only in very low quantities.
To assist businesses in navigating these regulations, ZMUni Compliance Centre has compiled a reference list detailing the types of nutritional fortifiers, their approved compound sources, and usage limits permitted in compressed candies (Category Code 05.02.02 – candies excluding gum-based products) under current Chinese food safety regulations. The details are presented in the table below:
|
Nutritional Fortifier |
Permitted Compound Sources |
Usage Limit |
|
Vitamin C |
L-Ascorbic acid, Calcium L-ascorbate, Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, Sodium L-ascorbate, Potassium L-ascorbate, L-ascorbyl-6-palmitate (ascorbyl palmitate), Enzymatically synthesized ascorbyl palmitate |
1000–6000 mg/kg (calculated as L-ascorbic acid) |
|
Iron |
Ferrous sulfate, Ferrous gluconate, Ferric ammonium citrate, Ferrous fumarate, Ferric citrate, Ferrous lactate, Ferric chloride heme, Ferric pyrophosphate, Iron porphyrin, Ferrous glycinate, Reduced iron, Sodium iron EDTA, Carbonyl iron, Ferrous carbonate, Ferrous citrate, Ferrous succinate, Heme iron, Electrolytic iron, Sodium ferric citrate |
600–1200 mg/kg (calculated as iron) |
China has established strict regulations governing the use of nutritional fortifiers in food products to ensure consumer health and safety. These regulations are primarily outlined in the GB 14880-2012 National Food Safety Standard Standard for the Use of Nutritional Fortification Substances in Foods, along with its subsequent amendments and supplementary documents.
Image 1. GB 14880-2012 National Food Safety Standard Standard for the Use of Nutritional Fortification Substances in Foods
The standard explicitly defines the approved types of nutritional fortifiers for different food categories, as well as the permitted dosage ranges for each. For instance, fortifiers such as vitamins, minerals, and taurine must be added strictly according to the specified types and dosage limits to ensure compliance and legal market circulation.
Moreover, imported food businesses must closely monitor the "Three New Foods" administrative licensing announcements issued by the National Health Commission of China. These updates detail newly approved nutritional fortifiers and their usage guidelines, ensuring that businesses remain compliant and avoid exceeding permissible dosage levels or using unauthorized fortifiers in food categories.
Image 2. Administrative Licensing Announcement for "Three New Foods" by China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment
Since the enforcement of GB 14880-2012 in 2013, the approval of nutritional fortifiers has increased steadily. The rise of synthetic biology has further accelerated this trend, with substances like Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs), produced through genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs), receiving significant attention and being actively submitted for approval as nutritional fortifiers.
Image 3. Example of a Newly Approved Nutritional Fortifier – 2'-Fucosyllactose (2’-FL)
To address the common issue of excessive or non-compliant use of nutritional fortifiers in compressed candy products, ZMUni Compliance Centre recommends the following regulatory pathways to help enterprises ensure successful importation:
Reformulate the Product: Adjust the types or levels of nutritional fortifiers to meet the requirements of China’s relevant food standards.
Modify the Product Form: Consider changing the product format from compressed candy to solid beverage, a category that permits the use of a wider range of nutritional fortifiers, including vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, D, E, β-carotene, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, as well as iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, taurine, and L-carnitine.
Register or Notify as a Health Food: After completing the required health food registration or Notification, the product can be imported and sold under the category of health food rather than as a general food product.
ZMUni Compliance Centre brings extensive expertise in pre-packaged food compliance and import clearance. For inquiries or support to ensure the efficient and successful entry of your products into China and other markets, please contact us at info@zmuni.com.
http://gdfs.customs.gov.cn/xiamen_customs/zfxxgk22/3017978/3018709/1685455/6474491/index.html
