[Safety of Import and Export Food] There are new rules for the import of these foods. Importers should pay attention in advance

What is health food?

 

According to the National Food Safety Standard for Health Foods Hygienic Standard (GB16740—2014), health food refers to foods that claim to have specific health functions or sounds for the purpose of supplementing vitamins and mineral supplementation. That is to say, it is used for specific groups to eat, which has the function of regulating the body, does not aim at treating diseases, and does not cause any acute, subacute or chronic harm to human body.

In China, whether imported or domestic health food, it is necessary to obtain the approval document number of the relevant state departments and mark it on the label. The logo of health food is commonly known as "blue hat".

Approval No. and logo before 2003:

 

    
What are foods for special dietary uses?    

 

According to China's National Food Safety Standard for Label of Prepackaged Foods for Special Dietary Uses(GB 13432-2013), foods for special dietary uses refers to food specially processed or formulated to meet special physical or physiological conditions and(or) meet special dietary needs under diseases and disorders. The contents of nutrients and(or) other nutrients in this kind of food are significantly different from those in comparable ordinary foods. The categories of food for special dietary mainly include:

a)     Infant formula products: 1) infant formula product; 2) Formula for older infants and young children; 3) Infant formula for special medical purposes;
b)     Infant supplementary food: 1) infant cereal supplementary food; 2) Canned supplementary food for infants and young children;
c)     Formula food for special medical purposes (except the varieties involved in infant formula food for special medical purposes);
d)     Other foods for special dietary uses other than the above categories (including supplementary food supplements, sports nutrition foods, and other foods for special dietary uses with corresponding national standards).

 

What are the new requirements for importing these foods?

 

I.     In accordance with the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food:
The overseas manufacturing enterprises of the following 18 categories of imported food are recommended for registration by the competent authorities of the country (region) where they are located to the General Administration of Customs: meat products, casings, aquatic products, dairy products, bird's nest and bird's nest products, bee products, eggs and egg products, edible fats and oils, stuffed and cooked wheaten food, edible grains, grain flour industrial products and malt, fresh and dehydrated vegetables, and dried beans, seasonings, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, unroasted coffee beans and cocoa beans, special dietary food and health food.

Look, special dietary foods and health foods are listed impressively! How to deal with it specifically?

1.     Application
Overseas production enterprises of special dietary food and health food shall be audited and inspected by the competent authorities of the country (region) where they are located. After confirming that they meet the registration requirements,  the competent authorities shall recommend and submit application materials to the General Administration of Customs.

2.     Submit
Unless otherwise agreed by the competent authorities of relevant countries (regions) and the General Administration of Customs on the application method and application materials, the application for registration, change, continuation and cancellation of overseas manufacturing enterprises of imported food shall be submitted through the registration management system of overseas manufacturing enterprises of imported food.

3.     Acceptance
After receiving the application materials, the Food Bureau of the General Administration of Customs shall deal with them respectively according to the following circumstances:
(1)     Materials that meet the requirements shall be accepted;
(2)     If the materials do not conform to the statutory form or are incomplete, within 20 working days from the date of receiving the application materials, inform the competent authorities of the country (region) or the overseas manufacturing enterprises of imported food of all the contents that need to be corrected at one time;
(3)     If the registration and administration is not required by the provisions of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food, it shall not be accepted and shall be notified to the competent authorities of the country (region) or overseas manufacturing enterprises of imported food;
(4)     If it is found that overseas enterprises applying for registration provide false materials, it will not be accepted and shall be notified to the competent authorities of the country (region) or overseas manufacturing enterprises of imported food; If it is found that registered overseas enterprises provide false materials, it shall be handled according to the relevant requirements of Article 24 of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food (Order No. 248th of the General Administration of Customs).

4.     Evaluation and Examination
According to the needs of risk analysis and practical work, the Food Bureau of the General Administration of Customs can organize an evaluation team to evaluate and examine the overseas manufacturing enterprises of imported food applying for registration through written inspection, video inspection, on-site inspection and other forms and combinations.
5.     Review
The Food Bureau of the General Administration of Customs shall review the work report of the Evaluation and Examination Team

6.     Registration
According to the evaluation and examination, the General Administration of Customs shall register the overseas manufacturing enterprises of imported food that meet the requirements and give the registration number in China, and shall be notified to the competent authorities of the country (region) or overseas manufacturing enterprises of imported food; The overseas manufacturing enterprises of imported food that do not meet the requirements shall not be registered, and shall be notified to the competent authorities of the country (region) or overseas manufacturing enterprises of imported food.

In addition, remember: When a registered enterprise of imported health food and special dietary foods exports food to China, it shall mark the registration number in China or the registration number approved by the competent authorities of the country (region) where it is located on the inner and outer packages of imported health food and special dietary foods.

 

II.     According to the requirements of the new Measures for the Safety Administration of Imported and Exported Food of the People's Republic of China:
The label in Chinese language of health food or food for special dietary use must be printed on the smallest sales package, and may not be affixed thereto.
This means that starting from January 1, 2020:
Food packaging with foreign language labels and affixed with Chinese labels cannot be imported!
If you don't have a Chinese label, you can't import your food!
Chinese labels must be printed on the minimum sales package! Attention, it should be printed.

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Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of thid website. The Chinese version shall prevail.