On June 19, 2025, China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) released its list of non-compliant imported food products for May 2025. According to the list, a total of 428 batches from 38 countries and regions were denied entry — representing a 32% increase from the previous month and a 24% rise year-on-year. The number of non-compliant food imports continues to rise.
The majority of non-compliant imports came from the U.S. (20.3%), Hong Kong SAR, China ranked second (17.8%), Japan (14.3%), and Indonesia (6.5%). Key reasons for import rejections included:
- Non-compliance with national food standards
- Unqualified labeling
- Discrepancy between cargo and certificates
- Registration issues of overseas food manufacturers
- Non-compliance due to absence of mandatory certificates or supporting evidence.
According to the list, seven varieties of "Taokaenoi Himalayan Pink Salt Flavored Seaweed" from Thailand were denied entry due to the use of unauthorized new food ingredients.
New food ingredients refer to the following items that have no traditional eating habits in China*:
1. Animals, plants and microorganisms;
2. Sunstances isolated from plants, animals and microorganisms;
3. Food ingredients whose molecular structures have been modified;
4. Other newly innovated food ingredients.
*Foods have been produced and distributed as packaged food in provincial jurisdiction for more than 30 years and are not included in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China.
At the same time, new food ingredients in China must possess the characteristics of food ingredients, meet necessary nutritional requirements, and be non-toxic, non-harmful, and free from any acute, subacute, chronic, or other potential risks to human health.
Currently, there are two main national standards governing edible salt in China:
1. GB 2721-2015 National Food Safety Standard Food Grade Salt
Type of Standard: Mandatory National Standard
Issuing Authority: National Health and Family Planning Commission
Date of Issue: September 22, 2015
Date of Implementation: September 22, 2016
Scope: This standard applies to edible salt.
2. GB/T 5461-2016: Edible Salt
Type of Standard: Recommended National Standard
Issuing Authorities: General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and Standardization Administration of China (SAC)
Date of Issue: June 14, 2016
Date of Implementation: January 1, 2017
Scope: This standard specifies the terminology, requirements, test methods, inspection rules, determination rules, packaging, labeling, transportation, and storage of edible salt. It applies to edible salt made from seawater, underground brine, salt lake brine, sea salt, rock salt, or lake salt.
1. Standardize Labeling and Intended Use
Non-edible Himalayan salt (pink salt) should be clearly labeled with warning statements such as "Mineral Salt" and "Not for Direct Consumption." Misleading terms like "edible salt" or "seasoning" must be avoided to ensure consumers understand that the product is not intended for direct consumption as table salt. During sales, it should be displayed separately from edible salt, with packaging and labeling that are clearly distinguishable to prevent confusion.
2. Strict Control of Marketing Content
When promoting Himalayan salt (pink salt) products on e-commerce platforms, vendors should avoid using potentially misleading keywords such as "edible salt" or "seasoning," which may misrepresent the product's intended use.
3. Registration for New Food Ingredient Approval
According to China's Administrative Measures for the Safety Review of New Food Ingredients, any ingredient intended for food use that lacks a history of traditional consumption in China and is not listed in existing national food safety standards or related regulations must be declared and approved as a novel food ingredient before it can be used in food production or marketing.
http://jckspj.customs.gov.cn/spj/xxfw39/fxyj47/4677516/6586281/index.html
