On March 27, 2025, China's National Health Commission (NHC) and State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) jointly released the new national standard for food labeling - GB 7718-2025 General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Food. This new standard will take effect on March 16, 2027.
GB 7718 - 2004
GB 7718 - 2011
Public consultation: 2018, 2019, 2024 (twice)
GB 7718 - 2025
Eight types of allergenic substances (cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, fish, eggs, peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts) should be indicated in the ingredient list, or the prompt information should be marked at a position adjacent to the ingredient list.
When allergenic substances may be introduced during the production and processing process, such as when sharing a production workshop or a production line, it is encouraged to mark the prompt information of the allergenic substances.
Exemption: Deeply processed products such as refined soybean oil (with allergenic proteins removed) can be exempted from marking.
If a single ingredient is an allergenic substance and the product name is already clear (such as "pure peanut butter"), there is no need for repeated marking.
Labelling forms: production date + Expiration date of shelf-life
Date labelling sequence: follow the order of year, month, and day.
For products with a shelf-life of 6 months or more, or when the largest surface area of the packaging material or container is no more than 20cm², only the shelf-life and the expiration date of the shelf-life may be indicated. For example, "Shelf-life: XX months" or "Expiration date of shelf-life: YYYY-MM-DD".
*Chinese label is mandatory.
When words such as "free of" and "does not contain" are used, the content of the corresponding ingredient or component should be "0".
For food additives, contaminants, and substances that are not allowed to be added to food or should not be present in food as stipulated in laws, regulations, and standards, words such as "free of", "does not contain", and their synonyms shall not be used for claims.
Words such as "not added", "not used" and their synonyms shall not be used.
The use of health food claims such as "assisting in lowering blood sugar" 'is strictly prohibited for normal prepackaged food.
Nutritional claims such as "high in fiber" and "low in fat" can be labeled and should comply with the GB 28050 standard.
Rules for Compound Ingredients: If a compound ingredient has no national standard and the added amount is ≥ 25%, the original ingredients shall be labeled in detail (e.g., "Mayonnaise (egg yolk, oil, vinegar)").
If the ingredients or components mentioned in the food name are under special emphasis, they should be quantitatively labeled. For example, for "Red Date Yogurt", the ingredient list: XXX, XXX, XXXX, concentrated red date juice (addition amount: 5g/kg).
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Strains |
Labeling Requirements |
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Strains added directly, without inactivation or removal processes |
Ingredients: XX, XXX, Bacillus subtilis (DE111, addition amount ≥ 4.8mg/L) (optional to label) |
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Strains that play a fermenting role |
Ingredients: XXXX, XXX, XX, Fermenting strain (or microbial fermenting agent) |
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Strains that have been inactivated or removed by filtration, etc. |
No need to label; Product type: Non - viable type; Ingredients: XX, XXX |
For ingredients or foods added to the product, using corresponding images to "explain taste and flavor" is not considered "special emphasis". For flavors that are merely blended with flavors and essences to mimic a certain ingredient or food, photos of the corresponding ingredient or food shall not be used, and corresponding explanatory text shall be added.
Implementation Principles: Paper-based labels must meet the mandatory requirements of the standard. Digital labels can supplement and display non-mandatory information (such as detailed nutritional component data), but the content must be consistent with that of the paper-based labels.
Technical Specifications: The QR code should be compatible with mainstream scanning devices, and the label information should be directly displayed on the first-level page after scanning.
The words "Digital Label" should be marked in a prominent position on the packaging to prevent consumers from misidentifying.
GB 7718 - 2025 has added a separate chapter (Chapter 8) for the labels of imported pre-packaged foods.
There shall be a one-to-one correspondence between the Chinese and foreign-language versions of the mandatory labeling information, including the ingredients. Unlabeled ingredients in the foreign list but required by Chinese regulations must be included in the Chinese ingredient list.
It's not mandatory for imported pre-packaged foods to label the food production license number and product standard code.
For products manufactured in multiple countries (regions), the origin is the country (region) where the last substantial transformation occurred. If filling or repackaging takes place in a different country (region), it must also be labeled. The source of raw materials or ingredients may be indicated as well.
Following China's newly released GB 7718 food labeling national standard, enterprises should expedite the relevant modifications during the transition period. This includes presenting newly added content, complying with new requirements for ingredients and claims. At ZMUni, we can assist food-importing enterprises with reviewing pre-packaged food labels and providing customized training on the latest labeling requirements (such as regulatory learning and practical label creation) in China.
