Food & Beverage EU SME Topics

On 1 January 2022, the Administrative Provisions on Registration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Foods (commonly known as GACC Decree 248) came into force. All companies producing, processing or storing F&B products that are exported to China, have to register on a dedicated system and obtain a code: https://cifer.singlewindow.cn/. Failure to do so will result in products being blocked at the Chinese customs and either returned to the country of origin or destroyed.

GACC Order 248 distinguishes between two product categories, each with its own registration procedure:

• So-called “high-risk categories”: 19 food categories: (i) meat and meat products; (ii) casings; (iii) seafood and aquatic products; (iv) dairy products; (v) edible bird’s nests; (vi) honey and bee products; (vii) eggs; (viii) edible fats and oils; (ix) stuffed pasta; (x) edible cereals; (xi) cereal powder and malt; (xii) fresh and dehydrated vegetables, dried beans; (xiii) seasonings; (xiv) nuts and seeds; (xv) dried fruits; (xvi) unroasted coffee beans and cocoa beans; (xvii) food for special dietary uses; (xviii) health food; and (xix) frozen fruits. Production establishments of this category cannot register individually – they must be officially recommended by their own country authorities to GACC, a process that might take several months.
• So-called “low-risk categories”: all other food categories. Production establishments of this category can apply individually and directly to GACC, which usually only takes up to a few days

CIFER registration must be completed by all individual establishments producing F&B products exported to China, even if they belong to the same business group. (example: company A has three production establishments: X, Y, Z; establishments X and Y produce products that are exported to China, so both must complete CIFER registration – while establishment Z does not need to).

IMPORTANT: The only official portal for registration is CIFER Single Window: https://cifer.singlewindow.cn/. This portal covers all registration issues, including new applications, changes, renewals, re-inspections, suspensions, and resumptions. Registration is free of charge, so please be cautious of fraudulent online portals (often using, unlawfully, GACC’s name or logo).

The EU SME Centre has received more than 500 enquiries from EU F&B producers and business organisations on different aspects and problems encountered during the registration process. We are ready to support you, please submit your question through our Ask-the-expert service.

More information on the detailed CIFER registration procedure and requirements for specific product categories can be found in the F&B sectoral reports of the EU SME Centre (see FAQ “What resources does the EU SME Centre have in the F&B sector?”).

The following categories of products are exempted from CIFER registration:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Plant-based seasonings (not crushed or ground)
• Dried beans
• Food grains (except rice)
• Oilseeds
• Unprocessed coffee beans
• Unprocessed cocoa beans
• Food additives

For registration, renewal, or cancellation of above-mentioned products, please reach out to GACC’s Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine via email at: dapq@customs.gov.cn  with the cooperation of your national competent authority. A list of products under the supervision of GACC’s Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine can be found at: https://scintl.chinaport.gov.cn/aprwebserver/pages/apr/public/html/companyList.html.

Specifically regarding food additives, the legal framework, definitions, the key standard GB 2760-2014 National Food Safety Standard for Uses of Food Additives and its appendixes, case studies, etc. see the following resources.

Labelling and marking are among the major reasons for products exported to China getting stuck at the Chinese customs. The Chinese authorities require that all products imported and sold in China meet specific labelling and marking requirements, which are stipulated in Chinese national standards.

According to various national standards (e.g. GB 7718 for Food Labelling Standards, GB 13432, 28050 and 10344 for labelling of pre-packaged food), the main information to be included in the labels of F&B products, in Chinese language, are: specification, net content; producer name, address and contact details; name of the importer and distributor in China; table of ingredients and nutrition facts; production date, shelf life / expiration date; storage requirements; name of food additives; code of product or national standards; GACC/CIFER registration code; as well as other information required for specific F&B product categories (e.g. health food; dairy; etc.). Labelling information must be submitted during the GACC/CIFER registration.

According to Article 30 of Decree 249, the packaging, labels, and identification for imported food must comply with Chinese laws, regulations, and national food safety standards. If instructions are mandated by law, they must be provided in Chinese.

For imported fresh and frozen meat, both the inner and outer packaging must feature labels in Chinese and English or in Chinese and the language of the exporting country/region. These labels should be durable, clear, and easily legible, including information such as: (i) Country/region of origin; (ii) Product name; (iii) Production enterprise registration number; (iv) Production batch number; (v) Specifications, production location (specific to state/province/city), production date, shelf life, and storage temperature on the outer packaging. The destination must be labelled as the People’s Republic of China, and the official inspection and quarantine marking of the exporting country/region should be affixed.

For imported aquatic products, the labelling requirements are similar and must include: (i) Commodity name and scientific name; (ii) Specifications, production date, batch number, shelf life, and storage conditions; (iii) Means of production (e.g., ocean catch, aquaculture); (iv) Production area (specified marine or freshwater source); (v) Details of all production and processing enterprises involved, including fishing vessels, processing facilities, and transport vessels. The destination must also be marked as the People’s Republic of China.

Lastly, labels for imported dietary supplements and food intended for special dietary uses must be printed on the minimum sale packaging, as affixing labels to other packaging types is not permitted. Additional regulatory requirements for labelling must be strictly followed for specific food types.

Food additives also have very specific labelling requirements.

More information on labelling requirements for specific product categories can be found in the F&B sectoral reports of the EU SME Centre (see FAQ “What resources does the EU SME Centre have in the F&B sector?”).

It is recommended to contact your country’s competent authority for the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding the regulations and protocols required for exporting specific types of products.

For reference on official site of General Administration of Customs of Peoples Republic to China (GACC) you can find related information for some of the agri-food category (available only in Chinese):

• Meat products:
• Seafood, dairy and products of plant origin
• Bee products
• Fresh fruits
• Grains (including seeds and tuber grains, oilseeds) and plant-based feed types:
• Animal Feed (Excluding Plant-Based Feed Ingredients)

In September 2020, the EU and China signed an agreement on cooperation and protection of Geographical Indications (GIs) – according to which China would recognise and protect 96 EU agri-food GIs, and the EU would do the same with 100 Chinese agri-food products. The agreement came into force in January 2021. The agreement safeguards in particular the protection of the translation and transliterations of GI names in Chinese language; it also automatically rejects all trademark applications misusing the GIs, as well as third-party registration of protected GIs.

There are 200 GI presently recognised. At the EU-China summit held on 25 July 2025, a decision was announced to progressively increase this number to 550.

More details on GIs for specific product categories can be found in the F&B sectoral reports of the EU SME Centre (see FAQ “What resources does the EU SME Centre have in the F&B sector?”).