ZMUni Compliance Centre

On September 25, 2025, China's National Health Commission (NHC) released two official Q&A documents on major food labeling standards:

• GB 28050-2025 National Food Safety Standard - General Rules for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods

• GB 7718-2025 National Food Safety Standard - General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Food 

Both standards were part of Announcement No. 2 of 2025, issued on March 27, which introduced 50 new national food safety standards and nine amendments. The newly published Q&A clarifies their application and interpretation, helping ensure accurate implementation before they take effect on March 16, 2027.

More information: Unpacking China's GB7718 - 2025 New National Standard for Food Labeling: Key Takeaways

The guidance is important for for both domestic and international enterprises. Below, we highlight selected items most relevant to imported food products for global stakeholders.

Selected Q&A Highlights for Imported Foods

• Basic requirements for imported food labeling

All labeling content of imported prepackaged foods—including foreign language or traditional Chinese characters, affixed or printed Chinese labels, and any other accompanying information—must comply with Chinese laws, regulations, and food safety standards. Where Chinese labels are affixed to original packaging, both the exposed foreign/traditional characters and the added Chinese label must meet these requirements.

• Labeling requirements

The labeling content of imported prepackaged foods must comply with the relevant provisions of GB 7718-2025 (except Articles 4.9 and 4.10).

• Correspondence between Chinese and foreign language labeling

Where both Chinese and foreign language or traditional characters are used, mandatory information expressed in a foreign language must have a one-to-one correspondence with standard Chinese characters (excluding trademarks, names and addresses of foreign producers or operators, and websites). Any mandatory labeling required by Chinese regulations that does not appear on the foreign label must be provided in Chinese. Non-mandatory information should also be maintained in correspondence but may be summarized in Chinese. Content covered by affixed labels does not need to be translated.

• Ingredient list

All items in the foreign ingredient list must have corresponding entries in the Chinese ingredient list. Items not listed on the foreign label but required under Chinese laws or standards (e.g., added water, single raw materials) must also be included in Chinese.

• Country of origin

Imported prepackaged foods must indicate the country or region of origin. For goods produced entirely in one country, that country is the origin. For goods involving multiple countries, the origin is the country where the last substantial transformation took place.

• Date marking when only the shelf life or best-before date is provided

If the original label only provides a shelf life or best-before date, the production date must be calculated backwards from the end date and indicated by affixing or printing an additional label.

• Importer/agent information

Imported prepackaged foods must indicate the name, address, and contact details of the importer or agent responsible for food safety in China. The label must clarify whether the importer or the agent is the responsible entity. In addition, the registration number of the overseas manufacturer in China, or the registration number issued by the competent authority of the exporting country/region, must be indicated. The producer’s name and address abroad, and the foreign operator’s name and address, are not mandatory.

• Nutrition labeling

Imported prepackaged foods may use affixed labels to indicate nutrition information, provided they comply with Chinese nutrition labeling standards and relevant regulations.