The General Administration of Customs ("GAC") has recently issued the Announcement [2019] No.70 to clarify matters concerning the supervision and administration of inspections of labels on imported/exported prepacked food.
The announcement reads that from October 1, 2019, the previously required record-filing for labels on the prepacked food imported for the first time will be cancelled, adding that labels on imported prepacked food, as one of items to be examined in food inspections, will be examined by the customs pursuant to laws and administrative regulations on food safety and inspections of imported/exported commodities. Meanwhile, the announcement expressly states that importers shall be responsible for reviewing whether the Chinese labels on the prepacked food they import comply with provisions of China's relevant laws and administrative regulations and requirements set out in national standards for food safety. If such review shows an incompliance, the food concerned cannot be imported to China. Where the prepacked food is selected to undergo on-site inspections or laboratory tests, its importer shall provide customs officers with the certificate of conformity, the original label affixed to the prepacked food and its Chinese translation, the sample Chinese label, and other supporting documents.