One of the principal factors leading to judgments of noncompliance or non-facilitated customs clearance procedures for exported foods from our country by importing countries (regions) lies in labeling issues. A prominent example involves nutrition label content not aligning with compulsory requirements of the destination countries (regions), leading to returns or corrective labeling measures that often impose financial loss upon our nation's food export enterprises.
Definition of Nutrition Labeling
Nutrition labels are descriptions presented on the labels of prepackaged foods designed to provide consumers with insights into nutritional information and characteristics. These labels constitute a pivotal element of prepackaged food labeling content. International organizations and numerous countries (regions) emphasize the critical nature of food nutrition label regulations. The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) has developed numerous nutrition labeling standards and technical documentation, paralleled by legislative and standardization efforts undertaken by the majority of countries (regions). Particularly following the release of the "Diet, Nutrition, and Chronic Disease" report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), countries and regions have progressively implemented numerous innovative measures to advance food nutrition labeling programs and promote healthy dietary practices.
Standards for Nutrition Labeling in China
On March 16, 2025, China promulgated the "National Food Safety Standard—General Principles for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods"(GB28050-2025) (hereinafter referred to as the "new standard"), scheduled to be officially enforced on March 16, 2027. Compared to its previous version, the new standard includes more comprehensive regulations on the definitions of nutrition labels and associated terms, the fundamental requirements for nutrition labels, obligatory content description, and optional content description.
Mandatory nutrient labeling constitutes a pivotal component of nutrition labeling. Its determination primarily considers factors such as the nutritional status of residents, instances of nutritional deficiencies, chronic disease prevalence rates, governance levels, and the economic capacity of enterprises. Under the new standard, the mandatory labeling of nutrients now includes saturated fats and sugars in addition to the previous requirements of energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and sodium. Furthermore, the concept of core nutrients present in the previous edition has been removed. The new standard additionally specifies requirements related to special nutritional claims, nutrient functionality claims, use of nutrient fortifiers, employment of hydrogenated and/or partially hydrogenated oils, and indicates that "Children and adolescents should avoid excessive consumption of salts, oils, and sugars."
Regulations on Nutrition Labeling by International Organizations and Countries/Regions
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)
The CAC categorizes the nutrition labeling of general foods into two segments: Nutrient Content Labeling and Nutrient and Health Claims. Key reference documents such as the "General Guidelines for Claims"(CAC/GL 1-1979),"Guidelines for Nutrition Labeling"(CAC/GL 2-1985), and "Guidelines for the Application of Nutrition and Health Claims"(CAC/GL 23-1997) serve as important resources for countries or regions in the formulation of regulations and standards, although they are not legally binding. For example, the "Guidelines for Nutrition Labeling"(CAC/GL 2-1985) recommend labeling energy, protein, available carbohydrates, fat, saturated fat, sodium, and total sugar, as well as stipulate the methods, formats, and nutrient reference values (NRVs) for nutrition information labeling.
Europe
The majority of European countries (regions) mandate compulsory nutrition labeling, with a minority, such as Switzerland, adopting voluntary implementation of nutrition labeling. According to the provisions on nutrition labeling in the "Regulation on the Provision of Food Information to Consumers"[(EU) NO1169/2011] issued by the European Union, mandatory labeling includes energy, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugar, protein, and sodium. The listed components must follow a prescribed sequence, and information on monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, sugar alcohols, starch, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals can be optionally added. Moreover, EU member states (regions) may impose additional mandatory regulations targeting particular types of substances.
America
Most countries (regions) in the Americas mandate the implementation of nutrition labeling, including but not limited to the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. Only a few countries (regions), such as Venezuela, adopt voluntary labeling practices.
The United States was the pioneer in mandating nutrition labeling. The "Nutrition Labeling and Education Act"(NLEA), fully enacted in 1994, mandates the disclosure of specific nutrient information, including energy, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, total carbohydrates, sugars, dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, sodium, calcium, iron, trans fats, and the percentage of energy derived from fat.
Canada has established the "Food Labeling and Advertising Guidelines," which clearly delineates the requirements for nutrition labeling. Nutrients that must be declared include energy, fat, saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, as well as the combined content of saturated and trans fats.
Asia
According to Japan's "Food Hygiene and Health Promotion Law", it is mandatory to label energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and sodium on nutrition labels. In South Korea, energy, carbohydrates, protein, fat, sugar, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium must be obligatorily specified on nutrition labels. The "Guide to Nutrition Labelling and Claiming Regulations" in Malaysia mandates the labeling of energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and total sugar, expressed per 100g or 100mL content. Under the "Food and Drug Regulations" of Hong Kong (China), all prepackaged foods are required to list energy and seven core nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, sodium). This information can be represented per 100g or 100mL or alternatively per serving or package. In Taiwan (China), nutrition labeling is required for energy, protein, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, carbohydrates, and sodium, along with the percentage of daily intake (DV%) for each nutrient. Only a limited number of countries or regions, such as Vietnam and Brunei, have adopted nutrition labeling on a voluntary basis.
Oceania
Both Australia and New Zealand enforce mandatory nutrition labeling, stipulating the declaration of energy, protein, fats, saturated fats, carbohydrates, sugars, and sodium. It is essential to note that this information must represent the content per food package and per 100g or 100mL.
Africa
Currently, mandatory nutrition labeling is implemented in relatively few African countries (regions), with only a limited number, such as South Africa, enforcing mandatory regulations on the nutrition labeling of specialized foods (e.g., infant food).
Key Distinctions in Nutrition Labeling Between China and Other Countries/Regions
International organizations and most countries (regions) have generally aligned the content and methods of mandatory nutrient labeling; however, certain specifics (like order and subdivision) vary and warrant close attention from food producers in our country, especially those involved in both domestic and export markets. The primary distinctions between China's nutrition labeling and those of others are outlined in the following three points:
The first category involves saturated fat,trans fat, and cholesterol. China mandates only the labeling of saturated fats, while countries (regions) including the United States, South Korea, and the Middle East categorize trans fats and cholesterol as significant cardiovascular risk factors, necessitating their mandatory disclosure on labels.
The second category pertains to added sugars and dietary fiber. Chinese standards do not differentiate between total sugars and added sugars. However, countries (regions) such as the United States and Mexico associate excessive added sugar consumption with obesity and diabetes. Clearly indicating the added sugar content aids consumers in managing sugar intake. Likewise, dietary fiber, regarded as vital for gut health, is mandated for labeling.
The third category involves micronutrients. China utilizes dietary guidelines to inform public consumption but does not enforce the labeling of micronutrient information—including calcium, iron, vitamin D, and potassium—on nutritional labels. Conversely, countries (regions) like the United States mandate this labeling to enhance consumer awareness concerning trace nutrient ingestion.
Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of China Inspection and Quarantine Times. The China Inspection and Quarantine Times version shall prevail.
