On July 17, 2025, China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) released its list of non-compliant imported food products for June 2025. According to the list, a total of 485 batches from 45 countries and regions were denied entry — representing a 4% increase from the previous month and a 13% rise year-on-year. The number of non-compliant food imports continues to rise.

The majority of non-compliant imports came from Spain (18.1%), the U.S. ranked second (17.5%), followed by Brazil (13.2%), and Japan (7.4%). Key reasons for import rejections included:

- Non-compliance with national food standards (272 batches)

- Unqualified labeling (55 batches)

- Discrepancy between cargo and certificates (54 batches)

- Registration issues of overseas food manufacturers (54 batches)

Product Ingredients Don't Meet National Definition of "Candy"

Among the rejected products, one case in particular drew industry attention: a "Crystal Tomato Compressed Candy" from Singapore was denied entry after lab tests revealed its ingredients did not meet the definition of "candy" under China's national food safety standards. The incident sparked renewed discussion around the scope of the candy classification.

How Are "Candy" and "Compressed Candy" Defined in Various Chinese Standards?

Across all these definitions, the core criteria for a product to be classified as "candy" or "compressed candy" lie in whether the product's main ingredients consist of sugar, syrup, or permitted sweeteners, and whether it is manufactured using the appropriate processing techniques.

The mandatory national standard GB 17399 establishes the most basic requirements for what qualifies as "candy."  Recommended standards such as GB/T 31120 and GB/T 23823 further specify characteristics like physical form (solid, semi-solid, or liquid) and the manufacturing processes required for compressed candy. Notably, compressed candy must undergo mixing, granulation (or non-granulation), and compression molding, with sugar or sugar substitutes as the principal ingredients.

Therefore, it can be inferred that if the ingredient profile of the "Crystal Tomato Compressed Candy" is dominated by functional or non-sugar components, the product—despite its tablet form—may fail to meet the definition of "candy" under the current national food safety standards.

This case underscores the strict regulatory stance on ingredient compliance and the need for imported products to meet both appearance and compositional standards.

Compressed Candies: A Persistent High-Risk Category

Compressed candy has long been a high-risk category in China's food import inspections. The recent rejection of the "Crystal Tomato Compressed Candy" is not an isolated case, but part of a broader trend of tightened regulatory scrutiny.

Historically, many compressed candy products have been refused entry primarily because of the unauthorized or excessive use of nutritional fortifiers. Cases involving the addition of vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients that do not comply with China's food regulations have been increasingly common (see our previous post: Compliance Essentials for Compressed Candies).

If a product fails to meet the official definition of "candy" and contains non-compliant functional ingredients, it can easily trigger regulatory red flags. To gain market access, compressed candy products must comply both with candy-specific standards and China's strict rules on additives and fortifiers. Authorities remain highly cautious toward borderline products, and exporters should carefully assess classification and ingredient compliance before shipping.

Compliance Tips for Tablet-Form Products

Given the frequent rejection of compressed candy products, companies must understand that tablet form alone does not qualify a product as candy (i.e., general food).

ZMUni recommends paying close attention to the following compliance points:

• Clarify product classification early in the development process. Determine whether the product is a general food, health food, or special dietary product. If it's designed to provide specific nutritional or physiological benefits, it should not be classified as candy.

• Ensure functional claims are legally compliant. If functional claims are made, the product must go through proper registration or filing as a health food.

• Align with applicable standards and regulations, particularly those governing food exports to China. This includes complying with national food safety standards and import control requirements.

• Avoid misleading labeling or promotional language. Phrases such as "antioxidant" or "throat-soothing" are prohibited unless the product is officially registered as a health food in China.

In summary, for tablet-form products containing functional ingredients, companies should conduct a comprehensive regulatory review and choose the appropriate product classification and compliance strategy. This will improve the chances of successful import approval and help avoid regulatory setbacks.