- A foreign F&B brand must satisfy two layers: a business licence with the right scope and product-level compliance (labelling, import/health-food registration).
外国餐饮品牌须满足两层要求：含相应经营范围的营业执照，以及产品级合规（标签、进口/保健食品注册）。- Since the 2021 Food Safety Law amendment, sellers of prepacked food only need a one-time filing, avoiding the full catering-oriented licence.
自2021年《食品安全法》修订后，仅销售预包装食品的经营者只需一次性备案，可避开完整餐饮类许可。- Chinese labels must meet GB 7718 and GB 28050, and imported food must print the overseas manufacturer’s GACC registration number on the label.
中文标签须符合GB 7718与GB 28050，进口食品须在标签上印制境外生产企业的海关注册编号。- Overseas food manufacturers must register with GACC (Decree No. 248, revised Decree No. 280 from 1 June 2026); a China Responsible Agent is generally required from September 2024.
境外食品生产企业须向海关注册（248号令，2026年6月1日起施行修订版280号令）；自2024年9月起通常须指定中国境内责任代理人。- Health food requires NMPA/SAMR registration for non-catalogue or first-time imported products, while vitamin/mineral catalogue products only need filing.
保健食品中目录外或首次进口产品须取得NMPA/SAMR注册，仅补充维矿且用目录的产品则只需备案。- The binding constraint is rarely capital but the registration-and-labelling lead time, so pre-register the site and finalise the Chinese label before signing distribution deals.
真正约束通常不在资本而在注册与标签的前置周期，故应在签署分销协议前完成生产场地注册与中文标签定稿。
Food & beverage market entry & licensing | 餐饮食品入华与许可
Overview
Food and beverage is a large but tightly regulated entry route. A foreign F&B brand must satisfy two layers: a business licence with the right catering/manufacturing scope (issued by the SAMR system), and product-level compliance — labelling that meets Chinese food-safety standards and, for imported and health-food products, registration or filing with customs and the NMPA/SAMR before sale.
This article covers the food business licence, labelling rules, imported-food controls, and health-food (保健食品) approval. It is informational; confirm details with the SAMR, GACC, and qualified PRC counsel.
The food business licence (食品经营许可)
Any entity operating catering, food sales, or related food-business activities in China needs a business licence whose scope covers the activity, plus a Food Business Licence (食品经营许可) for catering and most food-sales operations. The licence is granted by the market-regulation authority at the county level and covers items such as prepacked-food sales, catering service, and central-kitchen/collective-meal delivery. Manufacturing food in China instead requires a Food Production Licence (食品生产许可) from the same authority. Foreign-invested F&B companies obtain these through their locally incorporated entity (WFOE or JV).
A notable simplification applies to businesses that only sell prepacked food (仅销售预包装食品). Following the 2021 amendment to the Food Safety Law, such operators no longer need a full Food Business Licence; instead they complete a one-time filing (备案) with the market-regulation authority, often integrated into the business-licence application at incorporation. This matters for foreign trading companies that import and resell branded prepacked products but do not operate a kitchen or storefront — they can avoid the catering-oriented licence path and its on-site inspection. Operators that also handle bulk (散装) food, fresh produce, or provide catering must still obtain the standard licence, and cold-chain or central-kitchen models trigger additional requirement tiers.
Licence administration has also moved online: many provinces issue the electronic Food Business Licence and support an “inform-and-promise” (告知承诺制) route where the applicant commits to compliance and receives approval faster, subject to later verification. Timelines vary by locality and by whether on-site facilities exist, but entrants should budget the licence and any pre-opening inspection into their launch plan rather than treating it as a formality. The SAMR portal publishes the applicable food-safety regulatory framework for reference.
Labelling rules (标签)
Prepacked food sold in China must carry a Chinese label compliant with GB 7718 (general labelling) and GB 28050 (nutrition labelling), showing product name, ingredient list, net content, manufacturer, production date, shelf life, storage conditions, and the food-production/operation licence number. Imported food additionally requires the overseas manufacturer’s GACC registration number printed on the Chinese label, and the label must be in Chinese (foreign-language-only is not sufficient). Health and function claims are tightly constrained and must match the approved registration/filing.
Beyond claims, the nutrition-information panel under GB 28050 must declare energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, and sodium per 100 g/ml, with optional but regulated presentation of core and optional nutrients. Nutrient-content claims such as “low fat” or “high fibre” are only permitted against the thresholds defined in GB 28050’s appendix tables, and comparative claims must reference a defined base product. Trans-fatty-acid and added-sugar disclosure is increasingly expected by both regulators and retail platforms. Importers should note that a label compliant with EU or US rules is not automatically compliant in China — the table format, mandatory Chinese characters, and the GACC number for imports are non-negotiable differences that must be resolved before the first shipment, not discovered at the port.
Imported food — GACC overseas-manufacturer registration
Overseas producers, processors, and storage facilities exporting food to China must register with the General Administration of Customs (GACC). The framework is set by GACC Decree No. 248 (2021) and, from 1 June 2026, the revised GACC Decree No. 280, under which registration is valid for five years and is renewed automatically unless the food is on a listed exclusion. Certain high-risk categories require official recommendation by the foreign country’s competent authority; others are enterprise-self-applied via the CIFER system on the China International Trade Single Window (singlewindow.cn). From September 2024 a China Responsible Agent (local entity) is generally required to file on the overseas producer’s behalf.
Health food (保健食品) approval
Health food (保健食品) is a special-food category distinct from ordinary food and from drugs. Products using raw materials outside the health-food raw-material catalogue, and first-time imported health foods, require NMPA/SAMR registration (注册), supported by safety, function, and quality-control evidence. Products that only supplement vitamins and minerals using the catalogue may be filed (备案) rather than registered. Approved products receive a registration/filing number that must appear on the label with the statement that the product cannot replace medicine. The SAMR special-food registration/filing systems handle these applications.
Practical example
Consider a mid-sized German organic biscuit manufacturer, “AlpenBrot,” planning to sell branded prepacked biscuits through Chinese e-commerce and selected import-food retail. The sequence that worked for comparable entrants looked like this.
First, AlpenBrot incorporated a WFOE in Shanghai to hold all licences and act as the importer of record — China requires the domestic entity, not the German parent, to hold the food business licence and to be the customs declarant. The WFOE scope was set to cover prepacked-food sales (预包装食品销售), which is the correct item for a trading/importing company rather than a catering licence. Because it only resold prepacked goods, the company in fact qualified for the lighter prepacked-food-only filing rather than a full catering licence.
Second, because biscuits are imported prepacked food, AlpenBrot’s German production site had to register with GACC. The company filed through the CIFER system on the China International Trade Single Window and, from September 2024, appointed a China Responsible Agent to submit on its behalf. The overseas registration number (a “C” prefix code) was then printed on every Chinese label.
Third, the label itself was rebuilt to GB 7718 and GB 28050: Chinese product name, full ingredient list with allergens highlighted, net content, the German manufacturer’s name and the GACC number, production date and shelf life in the Chinese format, storage conditions, and a nutrition information panel. The original German-only packaging was not acceptable; a Chinese-language sticker applied to the outer carton met the importer’s warehouse requirement, but the retail unit needed a compliant printed label.
Finally, AlpenBrot ran a trial shipment of 500 cartons through Shanghai port. The declaration used HS code 1905.31 (sweet biscuits), whose supervision conditions required import inspection (A) and the GACC registration check, but no import licence. Duties were paid, CIQ inspection passed, and the goods entered free circulation. Total elapsed time from licence setup to first sale was roughly four months — the GACC registration and label redesign consumed most of it.
The lesson: the binding constraint is rarely capital or ownership; it is the registration-and-labelling lead time. Entrants that pre-register the manufacturing site and finalise the Chinese label before signing distribution deals avoid the most common launch delays.
What to do next
- Incorporate a local entity (WFOE/JV) first; the food business or production licence is held by the China company, not the overseas brand.
- Determine scope early: catering vs. prepacked sales vs. manufacturing each need a different licence item.
- Build a compliant Chinese label to GB 7718 / GB 28050 and include the GACC overseas-registration number for imports.
- Register the overseas manufacturing site with GACC via CIFER/Single Window; appoint a China Responsible Agent if required.
- For health food, choose registration (new/imported/non-catalogue) or filing (vitamin/mineral catalogue) and obtain the number before any claim or sale.
- Keep the licence number, registration numbers, and nutrition data traceable across labelling, customs, and platform listings.
Sources
- State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) — official portal (business & special-food oversight): https://www.samr.gov.cn/
- SAMR — health-food registration service guide: https://zwfw.samr.gov.cn/scjg/wyb/sp/2024072302581168998/
- General Administration of Customs (GACC) — overseas manufacturer registration for imported food: https://online.customs.gov.cn/static/pages/guides/001029004000/001029004000.html
- GACC — revised Provisions on Registration Administration of Overseas Food Producers (Decree No. 280): http://gdfs.customs.gov.cn/customs/302249/2480148/6775328/index.html
- China International Trade Single Window (CIFER registration portal): https://www.singlewindow.cn
Related reading
- see also: E-commerce market entry for foreign brands (43-ecommerce-market-entry)
- see also: Healthcare & pharma market access (45-healthcare-pharma-market-access)
- see also: Import-export licensing & customs clearance (50-import-export-customs-clearance)
餐饮食品入华与许可
概述
餐饮食品是一个体量庞大但监管严密的进入路径。外国餐饮品牌须满足两层要求：含相应餐饮/制造经营范围且由市场监管总局（SAMR）体系核发的营业执照，以及产品级合规——符合中国食品安全标准的标签；对进口与保健食品，还须在销售前完成海关与药监局/NMPA·SAMR 的注册或备案。
本文覆盖食品经营许可、标签规则、进口食品管控，以及保健食品（保健食品）的审批。本文仅为信息参考，细节请以 SAMR、海关总署及合格中国法律顾问确认。
食品经营许可
在中国从事餐饮、食品销售或相关食品经营活动的任何主体，须持有经营范围涵盖该活动的营业执照，并就餐饮及多数食品销售活动取得《食品经营许可》。该许可由县级市场监管部门核发，涵盖预包装食品销售、餐饮服务、中央厨房/集体用餐配送等项目。在中国境内制造食品则须取得同一部门核发的《食品生产许可》。外资餐饮企业须通过其本地设立实体（WFOE 或合资本）取得上述许可。
值得注意的简化适用于仅销售预包装食品（仅销售预包装食品）的经营者。依据 2021 年《食品安全法》修订，此类经营者不再需要完整的《食品经营许可》，而改为向市场监管部门办理一次性备案（备案），并常与设立时的营业执照申请合并办理。这对进口并转售品牌预包装产品、但不经营厨房或门店的外贸公司意义重大——它们可避开偏向餐饮的许可路径及其现场核查。若同时经营散装食品、生鲜或提供餐饮服务，仍须取得标准许可；冷链或中央厨房模式还会触发更高层级的要求。
许可管理亦已线上化：多省份核发电子《食品经营许可》，并支持”告知承诺制”——申请者承诺合规即可更快获批，事后接受核查。时限因地区及是否涉及现场设施而异，但进入者应将许可及开业前可能的查验纳入上市计划，而非视为形式手续。市场监管总局门户发布适用的食品安全监管框架以供参考。
标签规则
在中国销售的预包装食品须贴附符合 GB 7718（通用标签）与 GB 28050（营养标签）的中文标签，标注产品名称、配料表、净含量、生产者、生产日期、保质期、贮存条件及食品生产/经营许可编号。进口食品另须在中文标签上印制境外生产企业的海关在华注册编号，且标签须为中文（仅外文不足）。保健功能声称受到严格约束，须与获批的注册/备案一致。
除声称外，GB 28050 下的营养成分表须标示每 100 克（或毫升）的能量、蛋白质、脂肪、碳水化合物与钠，核心与可选营养素按受控格式呈现。诸如”低脂””高纤”等含量声称仅可在达到 GB 28050 附录表格阈值时使用，比较声称须以规定基准产品为参照。反式脂肪酸与添加糖的明示日益为监管与平台所要求。进口商需注意，符合欧盟或美国规则的标签在中国并不自动合规——表格格式、强制中文字符与进口品所需的海关注册号，都是须于首单发运前（而非到港后才）解决、不可妥协的差异。
进口食品——海关境外生产企业注册
向中国出口食品的境外生产、加工及贮存企业须向海关总署（GACC）注册。框架由海关总署 248 号令（2021）及自 2026 年 6 月 1 日起施行的修订版 280 号令确立：注册有效期五年，除列入不予自动延续清单的食品外自动延续。部分高风险类别须由所在国主管当局官方推荐；其余可通过中国国际贸易单一窗口的 CIFER 系统由企业自行申请。自 2024 年 9 月起，通常须委托中国境内责任代理人（CRA）代为办理。
保健食品审批
保健食品是区别于普通食品与药品的特殊食品类别。使用保健食品原料目录以外原料的产品，以及首次进口的保健食品，须取得 NMPA/SAMR 的注册（注册），并附安全性、功能性及质量可控性证据。仅补充维生素、矿物质且使用目录的产品可备案（备案）而非注册。获批产品取得注册/备案号，须标注于标签并声明”本品不能代替药物”。相关申请由 SAMR 特殊食品注册/备案系统受理。
实操示例
以一家中等规模的德国有机饼干制造商”AlpenBrot”为例，其计划通过中国电商与进口食品零售渠道销售品牌预包装饼干。同类进入者的可行路径如下。
第一步，AlpenBrot 在上海设立 WFOE，作为持牌主体与进口记录所有人——中国要求由境内实体而非德国母公司持有食品经营许可并担任报关主体。其经营范围被设定为涵盖预包装食品销售（预包装食品销售），这是贸易/进口类公司的正确项目，而非餐饮许可。由于仅转售预包装货物，该公司实际适用更轻量的”仅销售预包装食品”备案，而非完整餐饮许可。
第二步，因饼干属进口预包装食品，AlpenBrot 的德国生产场地须向海关注册。公司通过中国国际贸易单一窗口的 CIFER 系统申报，并自 2024 年 9 月起指定中国境内责任代理人代为提交。随后，境外注册编号（以”C”开头的编码）被印制在每一张中文标签上。
第三步，标签按 GB 7718 与 GB 28050 重建：中文产品名称、含致敏原标注的完整配料表、净含量、德国生产商名称与海关注册号、按中文格式的生产日期与保质期、贮存条件，以及营养成分表。仅德文的原包装不被接受；在外箱加贴中文标贴可满足进口商仓库要求，但零售单元须有合规印刷标签。
最后，AlpenBrot 经上海港试运 500 箱，申报使用 HS 编码 1905.31（甜饼干），其监管条件要求进口检验（A）与海关注册核验，但无需进口许可证。缴税后通过 CIQ 查验并进入自由流通。从许可落地到首单销售约历时四个月——海关注册与标签重制占去大部分时间。
经验是：约束通常不在资本或所有权，而在注册与标签的前置周期。在进入者签署分销协议前即完成生产场地注册与中文标签定稿，可规避最常见的上市延误。
下一步建议
- 先设立本地实体（WFOE/合资）；食品经营或生产许可由中国公司持有，而非境外品牌。
- 尽早确定范围：餐饮、预包装销售、制造各自对应不同的许可项目。
- 按 GB 7718 / GB 28050 制作合规中文标签，进口品须包含海关在华注册编号。
- 通过 CIFER/单一窗口向海关注册境外生产场地；必要时指定中国境内责任代理人。
- 保健食品须区分注册（新品类/进口/非目录）与备案（维生素矿物质目录），取得编号后方可声称或销售。
- 让许可编号、注册号与营养数据在标签、海关与平台 listings 之间保持可追溯。
来源
- 国家市场监督管理总局（SAMR）——官方门户（经营与特殊食品监管）：https://www.samr.gov.cn/
- SAMR——保健食品注册服务指南：https://zwfw.samr.gov.cn/scjg/wyb/sp/2024072302581168998/
- 海关总署（GACC）——进口食品境外生产企业注册：https://online.customs.gov.cn/static/pages/guides/001029004000/001029004000.html
- 海关总署——进口食品境外生产企业注册管理规定（280 号令）：http://gdfs.customs.gov.cn/customs/302249/2480148/6775328/index.html
- 中国国际贸易单一窗口（CIFER 注册门户）：https://www.singlewindow.cn
相关阅读
- 参见：外国品牌的电商入华（43-ecommerce-market-entry）
- 参见：医疗医药准入（45-healthcare-pharma-market-access）
- 参见：进出口许可与海关清关（50-import-export-customs-clearance）