China to Mandate Nutrition Labels on Prepackaged Foods Starting Next Year

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According to reports, starting January 1 next year, the National Food Safety Standard — General Rules for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods will be officially implemented. The General Rules require that, except for those otherwise stipulated as "exempt," all prepackaged foods must mandatorily carry nutrition labels indicating the content of four core nutrients, namely protein, fat, carbohydrates and sodium, and foods with non-compliant nutrition labels will not be allowed to be sold. Nutrition labels guide consumers to pay attention to nutritional components and are an important measure for preventing chronic diseases.

Starting in 2013, China will implement a food nutrition labeling management system, mandatorily indicating the content values and reference values of energy and four nutrients. Professor Yang Yuexin, vice chairman of the Chinese Nutrition Society and of the National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that along with the accelerated process of industrialization, urbanization and aging, the number of chronic disease cases in China has also risen rapidly. Nutrition labels guide consumers to pay attention to nutritional components and are an important measure for preventing chronic diseases.

According to reports, starting January 1 next year, the National Food Safety Standard — General Rules for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods will be officially implemented. The General Rules stipulate that prepackaged foods shall mandatorily indicate on the label the content values of energy and four nutrients ("1+4") and their percentages of the nutrient reference value. The four nutrients are the four core nutrients, namely protein, fat, carbohydrates and sodium. Yang Yuexin said that newly produced products must indicate not only the content of nutrients and energy but also the percentage of the nutrient reference value. The latter is used to compare the nutrient content of foods. For example, if the label states that the protein reference value is 30%, it can meet about one third of the protein needed each day, which is simpler and more practical than net values. A relevant person in charge of Arawana also said, as a corporate representative, that the company will implement the labeling standard and make every effort to promote it.

Surveys show that Chinese residents' dietary intake of salt, fat and energy is on the high side, and the situation for preventing and treating chronic non-communicable diseases is severe. Diet is an important influencing factor for chronic non-communicable diseases. Scientific research and foreign management experience have proved that nutrition information on food labels can help the public make reasonable dietary choices, enabling residents to reduce their intake of saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium and increase their intake of dietary fiber; it is a good means of preventing diet-related chronic diseases.

The reporter saw on the website of the Ministry of Health that, according to the General Rules for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods, prepackaged foods shall mandatorily indicate on the label the content values of four nutrients and energy and their percentages of the nutrient reference value; the four nutrients include protein, fat, carbohydrates and sodium. If the food ingredients contain, or hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and fats are used in the production process, the trans fat (fatty acid) content shall be indicated. The standard also sets out specific provisions on the labeling of other nutrients, nutrition claims and nutrient function claims.

A recent visit by the reporter to several supermarkets in the city found that many prepackaged foods have not yet been labeled with nutritional information. Sales staff said the standard will be implemented starting next year, and it will still take some time for food manufacturers to comply. In addition, most of the citizens interviewed said that they currently pay more attention to the production date and shelf life on food packaging and seldom notice nutrition labels. Ms. Wei of Heping District said that she usually pays attention to the ingredients and nutrition labels when buying prepackaged foods, especially when buying fried and baked foods, when she tries to choose products with lower calories.

— This article is reposted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-362019.html