August 14, 2012

New food packaging regulations will be introduced in China from January 1, 2013, as part of the government's efforts to decrease the risk of chronic non-communicable disease and help consumers make better food choices.

Under the new regulations, food packaging labels should feature standard nutritional information, conveying a product's nutritional structure and ingredients.

The packages should feature the content of four kinds of nutritional elements - protein, fat, carbohydrate and sodium.

China's Ministry of Health senior supervision official, Su Zhi, said the regulations, first drafted in 2007, are based on recommendations of international food societies as well as the ministry.

"China faces a severe situation of chronic non-communicable diseases, and information on the packages will help consumers avoid the intake of unhealthy elements, such as saturated fat and cholesterol, and increase the ingestion of dietary fibers," Zhi added.

China is providing the transitional period to help the food industry comply with the new regulations before they go into effect.