New Chinese labelling rules in force from next year should change consumer behaviour, encouraging the purchase of healthier foods, a government health expert has told just-food.

Beijing says pre-packaged foods must carry nutrition fact sheets on labels, stating calories, protein, fat, carbohydrate and sodium content. Trans fats will have to be declared.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

A senior researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a health ministry agency, said the Ministry of Health “will be supervising the nutrition facts label and there will be a department examining if the numbers are authentic”.

She said Chinese consumers have been consuming excess sodium, increasing hypertension and cardiovascular disease. “It is essential for China to introduce the nutrition facts label,” she added.

Ministry documents stressed the labelling regulation was part of China’s 12th five-year plan’s goal of building a basic domestic food safety system by 2016. Su Zhi, a ministry official, has told Chinese language media tthe ministry is also working on two additional regulations limiting food contamination and pathogens.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact