导航菜单
On March 6 2026, China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) released its list of non-compliant imported food products for January 2026. A total of 629 batches from 48 countries and regions were denied entry, representing a a month-on-month increase of approximately 55% (up 223 batches from 406 in December 2025) and a year-on-year increase of about 76% (up 272 batches from 357 in the same period last year).
The rejected shipments covered a wide range of categories, including frozen meat and poultry, aquatic products, edible oils, beverages, confectionery, alcoholic drinks, and biscuits. By country of origin, the United States recorded the highest number of rejected batches (93), followed by Russia (56) and Argentina (54). By total weight of rejected products, Kazakhstan, the United States, and Belarus ranked first, accounting for 34%, 21%, and 14% of the total respectively.
Key Issues Identified:
Labeling non-compliance remained the leading cause, accounting for 32% of cases, followed by discrepancies between goods and accompanying documentation (15%). The number of batches failing due to nitrofurazone metabolite residues increased compared with the previous month, representing about 7% of the total, while sensory-related issues declined to around 1%. Other issues included the detection of animal diseases, problems related to overseas food manufacturer registration, unauthorized use of food additives, and microbiological non-compliance.
According to China's January 2026 list of non-compliant import foods, 21 batches of cereal products from the United States were rejected, with a total weight of approximately 2,311.26 kg. The rejections were due to the use of nutrient fortifiers beyond the permitted scope and non-compliant labeling.
Nutrient fortifiers refer to natural or synthetic nutrients and other nutritional components added to foods to increase their nutritional value. These commonly include vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional substances.
In everyday foods, nutrient fortification generally serves several purposes:
Compensating for nutrient losses that may occur during food processing or storage.
Addressing nutrient deficiencies among populations in certain regions by improving overall intake levels.
Improving nutrient intake for specific groups whose dietary habits or other factors may result in insufficient consumption of certain nutrients.
Adjusting or supplementing nutrient levels in foods intended for special dietary uses.
How Should Nutrient Fortifiers Be Used in Compliance in China?
In China, the use of nutrient fortifiers is regulated under the national standard GB 14880 – National Food Safety Standard for the Use of Nutritional Fortification Substances in Foods. The standard sets clear requirements for their use. Specifically, the scope of application and permitted usage levels must comply with Appendix A of GB 14880, while the approved compound sources must meet the requirements listed in Appendix B.
In addition, Appendix C specifies the nutrient fortifiers and compound sources permitted for foods for special dietary uses, as well as other nutritional ingredients that are allowed only in certain categories of such foods and their corresponding usage limits.
According to GB 7718 and related requirements, nutrient fortifiers in the ingredient list must be declared using the names specified in GB 14880 or relevant official announcements. Manufacturers may choose any of the following three labeling approaches:
Compound name only — declared according to the compound source names listed in Appendix B of GB 14880 or Table C.1.
Both nutrient name and compound name — indicating the nutrient together with its compound source.
Nutrient name only — declared according to the nutrient names listed in Appendix A or Table C.1.
In addition, the order of ingredients must follow the requirements of GB 7718, meaning nutrient fortifiers should be listed in descending order based on the amount added (by weight) during manufacturing or processing.
Example:
If a product is fortified with vitamin E in accordance with GB 14880, and the compound used is dl-α-tocopherol, the ingredient list may be labeled in any of the following ways:
dl-α-tocopherol
Vitamin E (dl-α-tocopherol) or dl-α-tocopherol (Vitamin E)
Vitamin E
If a prepackaged food uses nutrient fortifiers in accordance with GB 14880, the declaration of nutrients in the Nutrition Facts table—including names, order, units, and rounding rules—must comply with the requirements of Table 1 in GB 28050.
For nutrients not listed in Table 1 but permitted for fortification under GB 14880, their declaration should appear after the nutrients listed in Table 1, following the order requirements specified in GB 28050.
ZMUni Compliance Centre reminds all industry stakeholders that food safety remains a top priority. Companies are encouraged to strengthen pre-import compliance checks, carefully verify customs documentation, and enhance supplier quality management to reduce the risk of import rejections.
Overseas food manufacturers and importers should stay up to date with the latest food laws and standards, and seek professional compliance guidance when needed to ensure smooth and timely market entry.
For more information on China food compliance, including formula and label review services, please visit our food services pages or contact us at info@zmuni.com.
