Chinese Customs Rejects 294 Batches of Imported Food in September 2023

The General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) has released a report on non-compliant food imports for September 2023, indicating that a total of 294 batches of imported food from 38 different countries and regions have been rejected.

Most rejected imported food in September came from Indonesia, followed by the U.S. and Hong Kong, China.

The majority of these non-compliant imports for September originated from Indonesia, making up 16.0% of the rejections, primarily consisting of aquatic products. Following closely were the United States at 11.2%, with a focus on meat and health supplements, and Hong Kong, China, at 8.2%, mainly involving alcoholic beverages. The primary reasons for these import rejections were as follows:

1. Lack of inspection and quarantine permit (29.8%)

2. Discrepancy between cargo and certificate (19.7%)

3. Excessive use of food additives or nutritional fortification substances (15.3%)

4. Unqualified labeling (12.6%)

5. Exceeded expiry date (6.5%)

Notable Cases:

1. Dairy Products:

A shipment of pure milk from New Zealand and anhydrous cream from Denmark were rejected due to spoilage.

2. Instant Coffee Products:

     In September, six batches of instant coffee products faced rejection due to issues with their labeling. These products, categorized as solid beverages in powdered form, must adhere to the standards outlined in GB/T 29602-2013 Solid Beverages. Recently, the China Beverage Industry Association (CBIA) introduced a revised version of this standard, encompassing changes related to definitions, product categories, technical requirements, and labeling and packaging guidelines.