Direct Answer: What Labels Must Imported Food Have in China?

All imported pre-packaged food sold in China must bear a Chinese-language label that complies with at least three overlapping mandatory national food safety standards. The primary standards are GB 7718-2011 (National Food Safety Standard for General Labeling of Prepackaged Foods, 食品安全国家标准 预包装食品标签通则), GB 28050-2011 (National Food Safety Standard for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods, 食品安全国家标准 预包装食品营养标签通则), and GB 2760-2024 (National Food Safety Standard for Food Additive Usage, 食品安全国家标准 食品添加剂使用标准). Non-compliance with these labeling standards is the most common cause of imported food detention at Chinese ports — accounting for approximately 23% of all GACC import rejections in 2025, ahead of microbiological contamination (17%) and heavy metal exceedance (12%).

Direct Answer: What Labels Must Imported Food Have in China?

Every imported pre-packaged food product sold in China must display a Chinese-language label (中文标签, zhōngwén biāoqiān) that is either pre-printed on the product packaging or applied as a separate adhesive label (加贴标签, jiātiē biāoqiān) before the product enters the Chinese market. The label must include 11 mandatory items as specified under GB 7718-2011 Section 4.1, GB 28050-2011, and the PRC Food Safety Law (食品安全法, shípǐn ānquán fǎ) Article 97. The Chinese label must be affixed before customs clearance — products cannot be imported first and labeled later. GACC (General Administration of Customs, 海关总署) inspectors verify label compliance as part of standard import inspection procedures.

GB 7718-2011: The General Labeling Standard

GB 7718-2011 is the foundational labeling regulation. It establishes the definition of “pre-packaged food” (预包装食品, yù bāozhuāng shípǐn) as any food that is packaged in advance for retail sale, with a fixed net content. Key requirements include:

Product name rules (Section 4.1.2): The product name must reflect the true nature of the food. If a standard exists for the food (e.g., “chocolate” per GB/T 19343), the name must match the standard’s definition. A product labeled “chocolate” that uses vegetable fat instead of cocoa butter must be called “chocolate-flavored confectionery” — a distinction that has triggered GACC detention for numerous imported confectionery products. The standard also requires the “attribute name” (属性名称) or “true nature name” (真实属性名称) to be displayed in the same visual field as the brand name, in a font size no smaller than the brand name.

Ingredient declaration (Section 4.1.3): All ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight at the time of manufacturing. Food additives (食品添加剂, shípǐn tiānjiājì) must be listed according to their functional category names (e.g., “acidity regulator”, “preservative”, “antioxidant”) followed by their specific INS number or Chinese name per GB 2760. For imported foods, additives that are permitted in the country of origin but not listed in GB 2760 must be removed from the formulation or the product cannot be imported. As of the GB 2760-2024 revision (effective February 8, 2025), 2,200+ individual food additives are listed across 23 functional categories — significantly fewer than the US FDA list or EU additives register. Foreign brands must reformulate products to remove any additive not on the GB 2760 positive list.

GB 28050-2011: Nutrition Labeling Requirements

GB 28050-2011 mandates a standardized nutrition facts table (营养成分表, yíngyǎng chéngfèn biǎo) in a specific tabular format. The table must display energy and four core nutrients — the “1+4” requirement (蛋白质, zhìfáng, tànshuǐ huàhéwù, nà) — plus any nutrients for which a nutrient content claim or function claim is made. The energy and nutrient values must be expressed both as absolute amounts per 100g/100mL and as a percentage of the Nutrient Reference Value (NRV, 营养素参考值, yíngyǎngsù cānkǎo zhí), a Chinese-specific daily reference standard that differs from international Daily Values. For example, the Chinese NRV for sodium is 2,000 mg (vs. 2,300 mg in the US), and for dietary fiber it is 25 g (vs. 28 g in the US). Using international NRV values on a Chinese label will cause customs rejection.

GB 28050 also regulates nutrient content claims (营养声称, yíngyǎng shēngchēng) and nutrient function claims (营养成分功能声称, yíngyǎng chéngfèn gōngnéng shēngchēng). Only claims from a pre-approved list of 28 nutrient function claims are permitted. For example, “Calcium helps maintain bone health” is an approved claim; “Calcium helps prevent osteoporosis” is not (it implies a disease-treatment effect, which is prohibited under the PRC Advertising Law and Food Safety Law). Foreign brands that use FDA- or EFSA-approved health claims on their China labels face detention and potential fines.

Special Labeling Rules for Specific Food Categories

Beyond the general GB 7718/28050 requirements, specific food categories have additional labeling obligations:

• Infant formula (婴幼儿配方食品, yīngyòu’ér pèifāng shípǐn) — Must comply with GB 10765-2021 (infant formula) and GB 10767-2021 (follow-up formula). Labels must include precise age designations, a warning that “breast milk is the best food for infants,” and the product’s GACC registration number. Health claims are strictly prohibited. Infant formula labels must be registered separately with SAMR under the Infant Formula Registration Administration Measures (婴幼儿配方乳粉产品配方注册管理办法), a 12–24 month process.
• Health foods (保健食品, bǎojiàn shípǐn) — Must display the “Blue Hat” logo (蓝帽子标志) and a SAMR-issued health food approval number. The label must include the approved health function claim (exactly as approved — not paraphrased), target population, dosage instructions, and a mandatory warning statement. Health food labels cannot imply disease prevention or treatment.
• Alcoholic beverages — Must display alcohol by volume (ABV) as a percentage. Wines must declare the year of vintage and origin appellation (if claimed). Labels cannot use terms like “premium” or “superior” without specific regulatory definitions.
• Genetically modified (GM) food (转基因食品, zhuǎn jīyīn shípǐn) — If the product contains or is produced from GM ingredients, it must be labeled as such per the Administrative Measures on Labeling of GM Agricultural Products (农业转基因生物标识管理办法). Even trace amounts from cross-contamination trigger the labeling requirement. The label must use the standard phrase “转基因” (zhuǎn jīyīn) or “含有转基因成分” (hán yǒu zhuǎn jīyīn chéngfèn).
• Organic food — Organic claims require China Organic Product Certification (中国有机产品认证) by a CNCA-accredited certification body. Imported organic products must be certified by a CNCA-recognized foreign certification body (e.g., Ecocert, OFDC) under a mutual recognition agreement. The label must display the China Organic Certification logo and the certification body’s code number.

Step-by-Step: Label Compliance Process for Imported Food

Foreign food brands must follow this compliance sequence before their products can clear Chinese customs:

1. Pre-shipment label design review — Engage a China-label compliance consultant (标签合规顾问, biāoqiān hég uì gùwèn) to review your intended Chinese label design against GB 7718, GB 28050, GB 2760, and any category-specific standards. Expected cost: RMB 2,000–8,000 per SKU. Timeline: 5–15 business days.
2. Product formulation review — Cross-check all ingredients and additives against the GB 2760 positive list. Any additive not listed must be removed from the formulation or the product cannot be imported. This step is best performed before manufacturing, not before shipping.
3. Design and print the Chinese label — The Chinese label can be pre-printed on the retail packaging (preferred for premium brands) or applied as a separate adhesive label (加贴标签) after the product arrives in China but before customs clearance. Adhesive labels are more common for initial imports but may affect brand aesthetics.
4. Submit label for GACC pre-review (optional but recommended) — Some GACC port offices offer voluntary pre-submission label review (标签预审, biāoqiān yùshěn). Shanghai and Shenzhen ports accept electronic label submissions for review within 3–7 business days. Using pre-review reduces the risk of spot-inspection rejection at clearance.
5. Customs clearance label inspection — Upon arrival at a Chinese port, GACC inspectors conduct either a document review (90% of shipments for low-risk categories) or a physical label inspection (10–100% for high-risk categories like infant formula, dairy, and health foods). High-risk category inspection rates are detailed in GACC Decree 249.
6. Post-clearance label changes — Once a product is cleared through customs, the label cannot be changed without re-submitting the new label design for GACC approval. Even a minor ingredient formulation change requires a new customs label review.

Common Label Compliance Pitfalls for Foreign Food Brands

Based on GACC rejection data and China Gateway 360’s analysis of 200+ imported food label compliance cases, the most frequent compliance failures are:

• Incorrect “nutrient reference value” (NRV) percentages — Using Codex or US Daily Values instead of China-specific NRVs from GB 28050 Appendix A. This single issue accounts for approximately 15% of label-related GACC rejections.
• Missing or incorrect food additive INS numbers — GB 2760 uses the International Numbering System (INS) for food additives, but some Chinese-specific additives use different codes than the Codex INS. Additives present in the product but not listed on the label also trigger rejection.
• Health claim violations — Using disease-treatment language (“lowers cholesterol,” “prevents cancer”) or unapproved function claims. Only the 28 approved claims from GB 28050 Appendix C are permitted, and they must use the exact wording from the standard.
• Font size violations — GB 7718 requires that the product name, net content, date marking, and warning statements (if applicable) meet minimum font size requirements. The product name must be in Chinese characters no smaller than 1.8mm (approximately 7-point) for packages with total surface area ≥20 sq cm.
• Inconsistent shelf-life statements — If the Chinese label states “保质期: 18个月” (shelf life: 18 months), the product must arrive at the Chinese port with at least 18 months remaining until the expiration date. Brands that state a 12-month shelf life on their original packaging but apply a Chinese label claiming 18 months face detention risk when GACC inspects the actual product condition.
• Missing GACC registration number — Since GACC Decree 248 (effective January 1, 2022), all overseas food manufacturers exporting to China must be registered with GACC and their registration number must appear on the product label or packaging. Products without this number are automatically detained.

Penalties for Label Non-Compliance

Under the PRC Food Safety Law Article 97, imported food without a Chinese label or with non-compliant labeling will be detained by GACC at the port and ordered to be returned or destroyed. The importer bears the full cost of return, destruction, and storage at the port. For products that have already entered the market with non-compliant labels, the local Market Supervision Bureau can impose fines ranging from RMB 5,000 to 50,000 (Food Safety Law Article 125), order product recalls, and suspend the importer’s license. Repeat violations can result in permanent disqualification of the importer from importing food products. Given that label non-compliance is entirely preventable through proper pre-shipment review, food brands should allocate 2–5% of their China market entry budget to label compliance consulting — a cost that typically pays for itself in the first rejected shipment avoided.

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What Are the Labeling Rules for Imported Food in China? — first published on China Gateway 360. Last updated: July 2026.