How to read the label of imported infant formula food (Customs Q&A)
Shenzhen Customs:
Last year, my love and I had a baby.
I have bought some imported infant milk powder on the Internet, and there is a lot of information on the label, and some places are not easy to understand.
What are the requirements and key information on the relevant food labels?
Shenzhen reader Mr. Wang
Mr. Wang:
Congratulations for adding one more family member to your family.
Food labels are an important carrier of food information and an important reference for consumers to buy food. Only accurate and standardized food labels can protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers.
The following food labeling tips will help you understand the label information of imported infant formula foods and purchase safe imported infant formula foods.
● Labeling requirements for infant formula foods
Infant formula food is a formula food that meets the nutritional needs of infants and young children aged 0-36 months.
1. The label of infant formula food shall comply with the requirements of GB 13432-2013 "National Food Safety Standard for Prepackaged Food for Special Dietary Uses" and corresponding product standards, including GB 10765-2010 "National Food Safety Standard Infant Formula", GB 10767- 2010 "National Food Safety Standard Formula for Older Infants and Young Children".
2. Overseas production enterprises that import infant formula foods should obtain the registration of the General Administration of Customs, and the imported products should conform to the registered category.
3. Infant formula foods and infant formula foods for special medical purposes must undergo scientific review, and infant formula foods for special medical purposes must undergo clinical trials before obtaining a registration certificate.
Infant formula foods and infant formula foods for special medical purposes must be marked with a registration number on the label.
● Prohibition requirements for infant formula food labels
1. Food labels must not promote disease prevention and treatment functions in any form. Non-health foods must not promote health care functions; they must not contain false, exaggerated, scientific principles or absolute content.
2. For imported formula foods for infants and young children, the Chinese label must be printed directly on the smallest sales package before entering the country, and it is not allowed to be affixed within the country.
3. Infant formula foods must not use images of babies and women or use "human emulsification", "breast emulsification" or similar terms.
4. Vague information such as "ecological pasture", "imported raw materials", "original ecological milk source", and "non-polluting milk source" shall not be used.
● Warm reminder
1. Do not buy or consume products without Chinese labels or with incomplete label information and unclear content.
2. Please pay attention to the true attributes of the product when purchasing.
For example, protein-based solid beverages are beverages, and their nutrients and nutrient content cannot meet the nutritional needs of infants and young children.
Consumers should not confuse protein-based solid beverages with infant formula foods and infant formula foods for special medical purposes.
3. The list of overseas manufacturers of imported infant formula milk powder can be found on the portal of the General Administration of Customs.
4. For infant formula milk powder imported from general trade channels, the customs will issue a "Certificate of Inspection and Quarantine of Entry Goods", and consumers can ask the distributor to show and check it.
(Yang Yang, Chief of the Processed Food Section of the Import and Export Food Safety Department of Shenzhen Customs, Cheng Yonggang, a staff member of the Food Inspection and Quarantine Technology Center)
Mr. Wang
Mr. Wang