The current edition of GB 7718 National Standard for Food Safety - General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods has been implemented for six years from April 20, 2012. With ceaseless development and in-depth implementation of standards in the food industry market in China, the labeling issues of prepackaged foods catch more attention. In order to better normally manage food labels, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment and other institutions concerned revised the standard. In combination with the amendment draft of GB 7718 for exposure, www.foodmate.net offered several highlights of contents newly added to the standard, specifically as follows:

1

Change in food name

Add definition of attribute name, and make clear food classification (type) name as attribute name.

2

Change in list of ingredients

2.1 Add classification label type.

2.2 Revise conditions for dose and contents of special ingredients to be labeled.

2.3 For marking of food additive, the new standard approves general names in GB2760, GB14880 or corresponding announcements and quality specifications.

2.4 The regulation that if words such as “no”, “-free” in the list of ingredients, the content in corresponding ingredient or component shall be “0”; where otherwise regulated by other laws, provisions or food safety standards, the regulations shall prevail;

2.5 The “not add” or “not use” shall not be used; where otherwise regulated by other laws, provisions or food safety standards, the regulations shall prevail;

Enterprises, which promote themselves by “no”, “-free” or “not add”, shall pay special attention to the changes. Currently, the marking modes of most enterprises adopting such promoting way are largely nonconforming. Once the standard is implemented, the labels shall be changed largely, particularly for enterprises with more packages in storage. Less attention to the changes may lead to more risks in complaint and complains than those “emphasizing characteristic ingredients”.

3

Change in labeling way of consigned processing

Regulate that name and address of both parties of entrusted processing beyond the scope of the Group shall be marked, and food production license of the entrusted party shall be marked.

4

Change in marking of allergic substances

5

Change in marking for food with special approval and target people

6

Change in requirements for imported food label marking

7

Change in quality grade marking

It is worth mentioning that the compulsory quality grade mark originally is changed to recommended mark.

8

Further clarify regulations involving character height

For comparison of Chinese simplified, foreign languages and Traditional Chinese character, the contrast of “character height” is more clarified, rather than the font size in original standards.

The words used in quality warranty period involving absolute expression such as “the best, the optimal” in appendix of original standard.