Click the image above for details On July 27, the 'Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Food Labels (Draft for Comments)' proposed that food labels must not emphasize the absence of substances not contained or used in the food, using phrases such as 'no additives,' 'zero additives,' 'does not contain,' or similar wording. It also encourages food producers to label low oil, low salt, low sugar, or sugar-free prompts. In addition, for the production and operation of genetically modified food, the food label should prominently indicate the words 'genetically modified'; otherwise, it is not necessary to label 'does not contain GMOs' or 'non-GMO.' -01- Zero Additives and Genetically Modified In today's context where the topic of food 'health' remains highly popular, more and more people believe that health issues are closely related to traditional dietary habits. Therefore, merchants cleverly exploit consumers' eagerness for 'health' by addressing these pain points. Currently, among foods on sale, using 'no additives' or 'zero additives' as a selling point to attract consumers has become a trend. People have always held a negative attitude towards food additives, but in fact, as long as they are added reasonably, food additives are harmless. Many foods now tout the slogan 'zero additives' or 'no additives,' which are actually marketing tactics by merchants. The so-called 'zero additives' either means that additives are allowed but not added, or that illegal additives are not added. In GB 2760 'National Food Safety Standard for the Use of Food Additives,' permitted food additives include preservatives, sweeteners, colorants, thickeners, emulsifiers, etc., with specified usage ranges, maximum usage amounts, and residual amounts. In practice, with the development of the food industry, even when cooking at home, one may use or consume foods containing additives, typically such as adding a spoonful of chicken essence or monosodium glutamate when stir-frying. Additionally, there have always been debates about genetically modified foods. In fact, the state has a scientific classification for the use of genetically modified products, but food packaging on the market generally only has labels like 'does not contain GMOs' or 'non-GMO,' which can easily cause ambiguity and misleading, leading many consumers to wonder which foods contain GMOs. Therefore, the relevant regulations have been revised in the draft. This means that in the future, genetically modified products will be clearly labeled as 'genetically modified,' while foods that do not contain GMOs must no longer be labeled with phrases like 'does not contain GMOs.' -02- FMCG Products Caught in the Crossfire Currently, among foods on sale, using 'no additives' or 'zero additives' as a selling point to attract consumers has become a trend. However, even before this, some in the industry had proposed that 'with the improvement of laws and regulations, companies will inevitably be required to provide an explanation for zero additives.' Now it seems they have all been 'caught.' 1. Dairy Products Due to the maturity of yogurt production techniques, some yogurts with no additives or fewer additives better cater to current consumer demands, so the phenomenon of promoting 'no additives' or 'zero additives' is very prominent across the dairy sector. Almost all yogurt brands, including Junlebao, Simple Love, Lechun, New Hope, Bright Dairy, etc., have launched 'zero additive' series products. According to media reports from Interface News, 'Yili's ZhiXuan plant-based milk has the words "no added sucrose" written on the front of the bottle; New Hope's Tianxiang Original Yogurt has the label "refuses to add flavors, colors, thickeners" on the front of the packaging; Junlebao's Jianchun flavored sour milk has the large label "0 added sucrose" and "simplicity starts from zero" on the transparent bottle; Junlebao's Daily Active Bacteria also claims "0 added sucrose" on the bottle.' 2. Condiments Take Qianhe Soy Sauce as an example. Originally a leading enterprise in China's caramel color production, its main products in recent years have been zero-additive soy sauce and organic soy sauce, which have been doing well. Qianhe Flavor Industry went public on the A-share market in 2016, using the 'zero additive' concept for marketing. It successively launched a series of additive-free and organic high-end products such as 'Toudao Yuanxiang' and 'Dongpo Hong Chunniang,' with high investment and high-profile promotion, receiving good market feedback. According to Qianhe Flavor Industry's third-quarter report for 2017, operating revenue was 690 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 25.6%, and net profit was 105 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 45%. In addition, as the leading soy sauce brand in China, Haitian launched its high-end brewed soy sauce series 'Haitian Zero Additive First-Pressed Soy Sauce.' Totole's Original Fresh Soy Sauce prominently labels '0 additives, triple freshness'; Shinho's June Fresh Soy Sauce labels 'True 0 Additives.' 3. Beverages On beverage shelves, Uni-President's Chaliwang labels 'no additives, natural sweetness'; and the well-known Coconut Palm juice also claims 'we dare to promise no coconut paste and no added flavors.' -03- Packaging Overhaul In addition to foods that violate the zero-additive and non-GMO regulations, according to the new regulations from the State Administration for Market Regulation, many other products' packaging will also undergo a major overhaul this year! 1. Production Date and Shelf Life Text Must Not Be Less Than 3 Millimeters Where should the production date and shelf life be labeled? The draft for comments clearly states that the production date and shelf life should be prominently labeled and can be printed on a white background; if laser etching is used to mark the production date and shelf life, the text should be clear. The height of the text for the production date and shelf life must not be less than 3 millimeters. 2. Food Labels Must Not Emphasize Suitability for Specific Groups Such as Children or the Elderly Phrases like 'specially crafted for infants and young children' or 'designed for the elderly' will no longer be allowed on food labels. The draft for comments proposes that without regulations, rules, and food safety standards, food labels must not use text or patterns to explicitly or implicitly indicate, suggest, or emphasize that the product is suitable for specific groups such as infants, children, the elderly, or pregnant women. In addition, regarding the 'imported milk source' claimed on infant formula, where exactly is it imported from? The draft for comments proposes that if infant formula milk powder labels and instructions claim the source of raw milk or raw milk powder, the specific source location and country must be truthfully indicated. 3. Iodized Salt and Reconstituted Milk Proportions Must Be Clearly Labeled Iodized salt and liquid milk produced with reconstituted milk need to be clearly labeled. If edible salt is iodized, the words 'iodized' and the iodine content should be indicated on the main display panel of the food packaging; if edible salt is not iodized, it should be labeled 'not iodized.' If reconstituted milk is used as a raw material to produce liquid milk, the words 'reconstituted milk' should be indicated adjacent to the product name, and the ingredients and proportions of the reconstituted milk should be truthfully stated in the product's ingredient list. The 'reconstituted milk' label should be eye-catching, and its font size should not be smaller than that of the product name. 4. Food Additives Should Be Labeled with Specific Names What exactly is the leavening agent added to pastries? The draft for comments proposes that food additives in the ingredient list should be labeled with their specific names. If functional category names such as sweeteners, preservatives, colorants, emulsifiers, thickeners, etc., are labeled, the specific names of the food additives should also be indicated after them. A reporter saw on the outer packaging of a pastry that the food label clearly indicated that leavening agents, including disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate and sodium bicarbonate, were added to the pastry. 5. Labels Such as 'Special Supply' or 'Special Needs' Must Not Be Used Labels that explicitly or implicitly involve disease prevention, treatment functions; non-health foods that explicitly or implicitly claim health benefits; describing or introducing food in a deceptive or misleading manner; using registered drug names as food names; using words such as 'special supply,' 'special made,' 'special needs,' or 'supervised' to introduce food are all 'explicitly prohibited.' Some materials in this article are sourced from the State Administration for Market Regulation and Interface News.