Update on Food Registration for Export to China
11. November 2021As announced in April 2021 in the two Decrees No. 248 and 249, the Chinese government has established a unified registration system for food imported into China from foreign countries. With this announcement a new system for food registration in China was established.
The new online system was made accessible on November 1, 2021. All food products that do not first need to be recommended to the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) by their local food inspection authority can now be registered.
Since the restructuring in 2018, the GACC has combined the functions of customs clearance and since then has not only carried out inspections and quarantines at the border, but also controls the import and export of food.
A list of food products that must be recommended to the GACC by their local food authority in the country of manufacture, is as follows:
- Meat and meat products
- Shellfish
- Seafood
- Dairy products
- Cubilose and cubilose products
- Bee products
- Eggs and egg products
- Edible fats and oils
- Stuffed pasta
- Edible grains
- Industrial grains and malt products
- Fresh and dehydrated vegetables
- Dried beans
- Spice mixtures
- Nuts and seeds
- Dried fruits
- Raw coffee beans and cocoa beans
- Food for special dietary needs
- Health products
If your product is among these food categories, it is necessary for you as a manufacturer to be included and recommended to the GACC through the listing procedure of your local food authority.
If your product does not belong to the food categories listed above, registration in accordance with the regulations that will apply from the first of January 2021 is now possible.
Although each food registration process is slightly different, it generally consists of a combination of supporting documentation, possibly testing in China, sample production inspections and regular follow-up inspections.
We will be happy to support you in registering your food for the Chinese market.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details and consultation. You can contact us via e-mail, or call us (UK: +44 2071931135, Rest of Europe: +49 69 2713769150, US: +1 773 654-2673).
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