Imported food and health-food registration, filing and labelling compliance in China (2026)

GACC Decree No. 280 (effective 1 June 2026) replaces Decree No. 248 (2021) and upgrades China’s overseas food-establishment registration into a dynamic, risk-graded, whole-chain system.
海关总署第280号令（2026年6月1日施行）取代248号令（2021），将进口食品境外生产企业注册升级为动态、风险分级、全链条管控体系。
Seventeen food categories require official recommended registration (e.g. meat, aquatic products, dairy, health food, special-diets); the “unroasted coffee beans and cocoa beans” category was removed, leaving 17 categories.
17类食品须官方推荐注册（如肉类、水产品、乳品、保健食品、特殊膳食）；”未烘焙咖啡豆与可可豆”被调出，现为17类。
Registration is valid for five years with a new mainly-automatic renewal; only meat and bird’s-nest products are on the non-auto-renewal list requiring re-review.
注册有效期5年并引入以自动延续为主的机制；仅肉与肉制品、燕窝与燕窝制品列入不予自动延续清单，须重新审核。
A new “list registration” (清单注册) route lets enterprises in recognised, cooperation-agreement countries obtain batch registration via their home authority, shortening lead times.
新增”清单注册”方式，对获认可且签协议国家的企业，可由所在国主管当局提交推荐清单批量注册，缩短周期。
At import declaration, the overseas establishment’s China registration number must be entered in field 519 (“imported-food overseas producer registration”); failure to file correctly is rejected by customs.
进口申报时须在”产品资质”栏（代码519）填报境外企业在华注册编号；填报不规范海关不予受理。
Health food (保健食品) still requires SAMR/NMPA registration (non-catalogue or first-time import) or filing (vitamin/mineral catalogue); cross-border supplements face tightening “soft” controls on full-ingredient declaration and key monitored substances.
保健食品仍须SAMR/NMPA注册（非目录或首次进口）或备案（维矿目录）；跨境保健品在全成分申报与重点监管成分方面面临收紧的”软约束”。

Imported food and health-food registration, filing and labelling compliance in China (2026) | 2026 进口食品

Overview

For a foreign food or supplement brand, the binding constraint to entering China is rarely capital — it is the registration-and-labelling lead time. The system changed materially on 1 June 2026, when the General Administration of Customs (GACC) Decree No. 280 replaced Decree No. 248 (2021). This article explains the 2026 registration architecture, the declaration mechanics, label rules, and the special regime for health food (保健食品) and cross-border supplements.

Market context

China’s imported-food market is large and growing — total import value rose from RMB 1.25 trillion (2021) to RMB 1.32 trillion (2025), with over 96,000 overseas establishments from 178 countries/regions registered as of the 280-command briefing. GACC’s overseas-establishment registration is the source-control backbone: without a valid China registration number, goods are not declarable. On top of GACC, imported health food must clear SAMR/NMPA registration or filing, and all prepacked food must carry a compliant Chinese label.

Key 2026 developments

Decree No. 280 takes effect (1 June 2026). GACC Decree No. 280 (*Measures for the Administration of Registration of Overseas Food Producers Imported into China*) was promulgated on 14 October 2025 and repeals Decree No. 248 from 1 June 2026. The shift is from “fixed catalogue + strict prior review” toward “dynamic risk grading + categorised management + whole-chain supervision.”

Categories and the official-recommended list. The official-recommended registration catalogue now covers 17 categories: meat and meat products; casings; bird’s-nest and products; bee products; eggs and egg products; edible oils; stuffed pasta; edible cereals; cereal milling and malt; dehydrated vegetables; seasoning powders; nuts and seeds; dried fruits; special dietary foods; health food; dairy; and aquatic products. The prior “unroasted coffee beans and cocoa beans” category was removed, reducing the count from 18 to 17. Categories outside the official list may be self-filed or filed via an agent under the Decree.

Renewal and the non-auto list. Registration remains valid for five years, but a mainly-automatic renewal mechanism was introduced: most enterprises renew automatically without active application, markedly improving trade facilitation. Only meat and meat products, and bird’s-nest and products, are on the non-auto-renewal list and require re-review. Where a country’s competent authority’s supervision fails, GACC may directly suspend that country’s relevant imports.

“List registration” (清单注册). For countries/regions whose food-safety system is recognised by China and that have signed a cooperation agreement, enterprises may be batch-registered via a recommended list submitted by the home authority — a green channel that shortens the compliance cycle for qualified suppliers.

Declaration mechanics. For goods imported for human consumption or as food-processing raw material, the customs declaration must enter the overseas producer’s China registration number in the “product qualification” field under “imported-food overseas producer registration” (licence category code 519), and “食用” in the “use” field. Non-compliant filing is rejected. For officially-recommended producers, products made within the valid registration period are declarable (including products made before expiry that remain within shelf life); suspended, cancelled or revoked producers’ goods shipped before the action are unaffected.

Labelling. Prepacked food sold in China must carry a Chinese label compliant with GB 7718 (general labelling) and GB 28050 (nutrition labelling), showing name, ingredients, net content, manufacturer, production date, shelf life, storage, and the food-production/operation licence number. Imported food must print the GACC overseas-registration number on the Chinese label. A licence-compliant printed label — not a foreign-language-only pack — is mandatory before the first shipment.

Health food (保健食品). Products using raw materials outside the health-food raw-material catalogue, and first-time imported health foods, require SAMR/NMPA registration supported by safety, function and quality-control evidence. Products that only supplement vitamins and minerals using the catalogue may be filed 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.

Cross-border supplements — tightening “soft” controls. Decree No. 280, Article 30, states cross-border e-commerce retail imports are handled “under relevant provisions” and are not pulled into the general-trade strict registration system. However, complementary controls are tightening: full-ingredient (including excipient) declaration with consistency checks against registration/filing and test reports; a “key monitored substance list” (e.g. NMN, CoQ10, melatonin, glutathione, ashwagandha, berberine) requiring country-of-origin compliance evidence; and a requirement that overseas producers of cross-border supplements complete China registration for bonded-warehouse filing. Goods transiting Hong Kong face “inspect-on-transit” checks requiring complete origin and logistics documents.

Practical steps

Confirm your category’s registration route — 17 official-recommended categories need home-authority recommendation; others may self-file.
Register via CIFER (https://cifer.singlewindow.cn) early; appoint a China Responsible Agent if required (generally expected since September 2024).
Build the compliant Chinese label to GB 7718 / GB 28050 and include the GACC number before the first shipment.
For health food, choose registration vs filing and obtain the SAMR number before any claim or sale.
Prepare declaration data — China registration number in field 519 and “食用” in use; keep registration valid through the shipment window.
For cross-border supplements, plan for full-ingredient declaration and key-substance evidence, and complete producer registration for bonded warehousing.

Related reading

Foreign F&B brand entry paths and food-safety compliance (see article 154).
Supply-chain localisation and central-kitchen compliance for chain restaurants (see article 156).

Sources

2026 进口食品

概述

对外国食品或保健食品品牌而言，进入中国的真正约束通常不在资本，而在注册与标签的前置周期。这一体系在2026年6月1日发生实质变化——海关总署第280号令取代第248号令（2021）。本文解析2026年的注册架构、申报机制、标签规则，以及保健食品与跨境保健品的特别制度。

市场背景

中国进口食品市场体量庞大且持续增长——进口额由2021年1.25万亿元升至2025年1.32万亿元；据280号令发布会，截至当时全球已有178个国家（地区）9.6万余家食品企业在华注册。海关境外生产企业注册是源头管控支柱：无有效在华注册编号，货物不可申报。在GACC之上，进口保健食品还须通过SAMR/NMPA注册或备案，所有预包装食品须有合规中文标签。

2026年核心进展

280号令施行（2026年6月1日）。 海关总署第280号令（《进口食品境外生产企业注册管理规定》）于2025年10月14日公布，自2026年6月1日起废止248号令。监管从”固定目录+事前严审”转向”动态风险分级+分类管理+全链条监管”。

类别与官方推荐注册目录。 须官方推荐注册的目录现涵盖17类：肉与肉制品、肠衣、燕窝与燕窝制品、蜂产品、蛋与蛋制品、食用油脂、包馅面食、食用谷物、谷物制粉和麦芽、脱水蔬菜、调料粉、坚果与籽类、干果、特殊膳食食品、保健食品、乳品、水产品。原”未烘焙咖啡豆与可可豆”类被调出，由18类降为17类。目录外类别可由企业自行或委托代理按令申报。

延续与不予自动延续清单。 注册有效期仍为5年，但引入以自动延续为主的机制：多数企业无需主动申请即可自动延续，显著提升便利化。仅肉与肉制品、燕窝与燕窝制品列入不予自动延续清单，须重新审核。若所在国主管当局监管失效，海关可直接暂停该国相关食品进口。

“清单注册”方式。 对食品安全管理体系获中方认可且签署合作协议的国家（地区），其企业可通过所在国主管当局提交推荐清单批量注册——为合格供应商开辟缩短合规周期的绿色通道。

申报机制。 以货物方式进口、供人类食用或作食品加工原料的，报关单须在”产品资质”项下”进口食品境外生产企业注册”证书栏（许可证类别代码519）规范填报境外生产企业在华注册编号，并在”用途”栏填报”食用”。填报不规范海关不予受理。官方推荐类企业在注册有效期内生产的产品可申报（含有效期内生产且在保质期内的）；被暂停、注销、撤销的企业，在事前启运的货物不受影响。

标签。 在中国销售的预包装食品须有符合GB 7718（通用标签）与GB 28050（营养标签）的中文标签，标注名称、配料、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。进口食品须在中标签印GACC境外注册编号。首单发运前须备妥合规印刷标签，仅外文包装不足。

保健食品。 使用保健食品原料目录外原料的产品，以及首次进口的保健食品，须取得SAMR/NMPA注册，附安全性、功能性及质量可控性证据。仅补充维矿且用目录的产品可备案。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”。

跨境保健品——”软约束”收紧。 280号令第三十条规定，跨境电商零售进口食品”按有关规定办理”，未纳入一般贸易严格注册体系。但配套管控在收紧：全成分（含辅料）申报并与注册备案、检测报告一致性核查；建立”重点监管成分清单”（如NMN、辅酶Q10、褪黑��、谷胱甘肽、南非醉茄、小檗碱等）要求提供原产国合规依据；跨境保健品境外生产企业须完成在华注册以通过保税仓备案。经香港进境产品进入”过港必查”，须提供完整原产地与物流单据。

实务步骤

确认类别注册路径——17类官方推荐类别需所在国主管当局推荐；其余可自注册。
尽早通过CIFER注册（https://cifer.singlewindow.cn）；必要时指定中国境内责任代理人（自2024年9月起通常要求）。
制作合规中文标签至GB 7718/GB 28050，并包含GACC编号，于首单前完成。
保健食品区分注册与备案，取得SAMR编号后方可声称或销售。
备妥申报数据——519栏填在华注册编号、”用途”填”食用”；保持注册在发货窗口内有效。
跨境保健品须规划全成分申报与重点成分证据，并完成生产企业注册以通过保税仓备案。

延伸阅读

外资餐饮品牌入华路径与食安合规（参见154篇）。
外资连锁餐饮供应链本地化与中央厨房合规（参见156篇）。

来源

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