Compliance Guide for the New Health Food Labeling Rules: (1) Overview

Foodmate Network news: Health food labeling is an important part of strengthening whole-process safety supervision of health foods, helping to promote high-quality development of the industry and safeguard the health and lives of the people. The Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Food Labeling (hereinafter referred to as the Measures) and the National Food Safety Standard — General Rules for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (GB 7718-2025) and their interpretations clarify the new labeling requirements for health foods. Based on the new labeling rules, Foodmate Network has summarized the labeling items for health foods, the centralized display of key information, the labeling requirements for single-layer and multi-layer packaging, and the labeling of specifications and net content, for industry reference.

01

Labeling items for health foods

In accordance with Article 26 of the Measures, the label and instructions of health foods shall indicate the matters stipulated in Articles 67 and 78 of the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China. In addition, the health food logo, the health food registration number or filing number and other information shall also be indicated, and a warning statement area shall be set up and the warning statement shall be indicated. Nutrient supplement products shall also indicate the words “nutrient supplement”.

In light of the new rules, the labeling items for health food labels and instructions and their regulatory sources are summarized as follows:

Name of law/standard

Food Safety Law

Measures for the Administration of Registration and Filing of Health Foods

Guidelines for Labeling Warning Statements on Health Foods

Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Food Labeling

Labeling items (smallest sales unit)

Smallest sales unit

Non-smallest sales unit, packaging in direct contact with food

Specific content

(1) Name, specification, net content and production date;

Product name, specification

Production date

(1) Name, specification, net content and production date;

Product name, net content, specification, production date

Product name, net content, specification, production date

(2) Ingredients or ingredient list;

Raw materials, auxiliary materials

—

(2) Ingredients or ingredient list;

—

Raw materials, auxiliary materials

(3) Name, address and contact details of the producer;

—

—

(3) Name, address and contact details of the producer;

—

Name, address and contact details of the producer

(4) Shelf life;

Shelf life

Shelf life

(4) Shelf life; shelf-life expiration date

Shelf-life expiration date

Shelf life, shelf-life expiration date

(5) Product standard code;

—

—

(5) Product standard code;

—

Product standard code

(6) Storage conditions;

Storage method

—

(6) Storage conditions;

—

Storage method

(7) The common names in national standards of the food additives used;

—

—

(7) The common names in national standards of the food additives used;

—

(8) Production license number;

—

—

(8) Production license number;

—

Production license number

(9) Other matters that shall be indicated as stipulated by laws, regulations or food safety standards.

Functional ingredients or marker constituents and their contents

—

Functional ingredients or marker constituents and their contents

—

Functional ingredients or marker constituents and their contents

Suitable population

—

Suitable population

—

Suitable population

Unsuitable population

—

Unsuitable population

—

Unsuitable population

Health function

—

Health function

—

Health function

Consumption amount and consumption method

—

Consumption amount and consumption method

Consumption amount and consumption method

Consumption amount and consumption method

Precautions

—

Precautions

—

Precautions

Statement “this product cannot replace medicine”

Health foods are not medicines and cannot replace medicines in treating diseases.

Set up a warning statement area and indicate the warning statement

—

Health foods are not medicines and cannot replace medicines in treating diseases.

—

Complaint service telephone

—

—

Complaint service telephone (may be combined with the producer's contact details)

—

—

Health food logo

—

Health food logo

—

—

Health food registration number or filing number

—

Health food registration number or filing number

—

—

Nutrient supplement products shall also indicate the words “nutrient supplement”

—

Nutrient supplement products shall also indicate the words “nutrient supplement”

02

Requirements for displaying labeling items in the same area

The health food logo, product name, registration number or filing number, warning statement area and warning statement, net content and specification and other information shall be displayed together in the same area of the label of the smallest sales unit.

03

Special labeling requirements for single-layer and multi-layer packaging

(1) Special requirements for labeling items

Where the smallest sales unit has multiple independent packages or multi-layer packaging, the outer packaging shall meet the labeling requirements for the smallest sales unit, that is, it shall contain all the labeling items in the column “Labeling items (smallest sales unit)” in the table above. Packaging that is not a smallest sales unit and is in direct contact with food shall indicate the product name, net content and specification, production date and shelf-life expiration date, consumption amount and consumption method. This can effectively prevent consumers from being unclear about product attributes or unaware of whether the product has expired after removing the outer packaging, thereby avoiding potential risks. Health food packaging that can be sold separately after the outer packaging is removed shall also meet the labeling requirements for the smallest sales unit.

(2) Special requirements for character size

Packaging that is not a smallest sales unit and is in direct contact with food is inner packaging; when labeling, it shall be easy for consumers to recognize and read, and the font size shall be reasonably determined according to the actual area and layout of the inner packaging; labeling may also refer to the relevant requirements for mandatory labeling matters on the outer packaging of the smallest sales unit.

04

Labeling requirements for specification and net content

(1) Specification

The specification indicated on the health food label shall be the mass or volume of the smallest dosage unit. This is not entirely consistent with the interpretation of specification in GB 7718-2025, namely “when a prepackaged food contains multiple prepackaged foods of predetermined quantities, the expression of the relationship between net content and the number of contained pieces.” As a labeling item in the sample draft of the health food label and instructions, the specification shall be consistent with the registered or filed content.

(2) Net content

The indicated net content shall be the mass or volume of the product contained in the smallest sales unit, or the specification of the smallest dosage unit and its corresponding quantity.

05

Conclusion

Requirements on multi-layer packaging, allergenic substances, product names and other aspects of health foods are also made clearer in the new labeling rules. Foodmate Network will systematically summarize the labeling requirements for health foods in several parts, to help the industry develop in compliance and transition to the new rules efficiently and smoothly.

This article is edited by the Food Information Center of Foodmate Network. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. To reprint, please contact news@foodmate.net.