September 6, 2007

China's inspection authorities to label food exports

China's General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) on Sept. 1 began labeling all food products for export that have received exit-entry inspection, according to the USDA's Foreign Agriculture Service.

AQSIQ has decided that all exported food products which have been inspected by exit-entry inspection and quarantine agencies shall be affixed with an inspection and quarantine label as of September 1, 2007.

Exporters would also have to list product details.

The new labeling requirements would apply to food products, including "aquatic products," poultry and livestock, eggs, wheat flour, vegetable oil and canned food, among others.

Meanwhile, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced it will be holding the second US-China consumer product safety summit with China's AQSIQ on Sept. 11 in Washington. The summit would seek to ways for exporters to increase compliance rates and explain US government expectations for importers and retailers.

The meeting is part of the CPSCs memorandum of understanding with China to cooperate and exchange information.