On January 19, 2024, the National Health Commission issued the General Principles for the Labeling of Prepackaged Food (Draft for Comments) (hereinafter referred to as the GB7718 Draft), and the deadline for comments is February 29, 2024. In order to enable enterprises to better understand the design requirements of prepackaged food labels in the future, CIRS Group has sorted out the key changes in this draft for reference in combination with the draft opinion and the preparation instructions.
1 Modify the text size of the label
Expand the minimum word height requirements for the mandatory labeling content of prepackaged food, and divide it into the following 3 levels according to the maximum surface area of the package:
2 Mandatory labeling of allergens
The direct addition of allergens has been changed from a recommended label to a mandatory label, but the allergen substances that may be brought into the production line can be recommended to be labeled.
3. Standardize the labeling method of compound ingredients
The name of the compound ingredient should be marked in the ingredient list, and then the original ingredient of the compound ingredient should be arranged in decreasing order in parentheses, and it should not be expanded and combined with the original ingredient. The compound ingredient in the compound ingredient can no longer be expanded to show its original ingredient.
4 Expression requirements for implementation dates
The production date and shelf life should be clearly marked in the order of year, month and day. If the shelf life is 1 year or more, the production date can not be indicated. The minimum height of the date should not be less than 3 mm, and the ratio of height to width should not be greater than 3:1.
5 Introduce provisions for digital labelling
Food producers are encouraged to display food information through digital labels on the premise that the label of prepackaged food meets the requirements of the standard. Digital labels are food labels, and their display content should also comply with the standards. Digital labels can save businesses on food label space and make it easier for consumers to read.
6. Standardize the labeling requirements for imported food
1) All visible labeling contents (including the original label and Chinese label content) on the label of imported prepackaged food shall comply with the relevant provisions of China, and for Chinese labels, there should be a one-to-one correspondence between Chinese and foreign languages of the mandatory labeling content. The content expressed in other foreign or traditional Chinese characters visible on the label shall correspond to the standard Chinese characters (except for trademarks, etc.).
2) Refine the labeling requirements of the country (region) of origin, which are consistent with the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Origin of Imported and Exported Goods. If the country or region of filling or sub-packaging is inconsistent with the country of origin, the country or region of filling or sub-packaging shall be marked at the same time.
7. "Label defects" that are not directly related to food safety
The GB7718 Opinion Draft moves formatting requirements that are not directly related to food safety, such as font, font size, font height, and maximum surface area requirements, from the body of the standard to the appendix, so as to facilitate the market supervision department to determine "label defects" and reduce unnecessary administrative costs and industry burdens.
Summary
In addition to the above major changes, the revision of the draft GB 7718 also has many adjustments and refinements, such as: adding restrictive use requirements for "none" and "exclude" and not using words such as "do not add" and "do not use", regulating the use of food claims on food labels, and incorporating the basic requirements for food claims into the standards. After the official release of GB 7718, companies should carefully review the terms and conditions to avoid missing important details. If you have any questions or need any assistance with the label design requirements for prepackaged foods, please contact CIRS Food Division.
Author: Wang Wenqi
**: CIRS official website