Last time, we had a brief introduction to the definition and common categories of coffee products from the perspective of regulations. This week, we will introduce the requirements for raw materials that can be added in coffee products, the key points of the labelling of coffee products and the function claims of coffee products.

Requirements for raw materials that can be added in coffee products

Food additives

The use of food additives in coffee products should meet the requirements of GB 2760-2014 National Food Safety Standard Standard for Uses of Food Additives (hereinafter referred to as GB 2760). The classification of coffee products in GB 2760 is shown below:

However, it is worth noting that according to the requirements of GB 2760, the category of 16.02.01 coffee cannot be used "food additives with appropriate level as required in production", and the use of additives should comply with the provisions of Table A.1. At the same time, the food additives allowed in the superior food category specified in Table A.1 should not be used.

In addition, 16.02.01 coffee is also included in Table B.1 List of the food that no food flavoring or flavoring substance is allowed to be added into. Due to the particularity of coffee, there is generally no need to add fragrance, and it is not allowed to add food flavoring or flavoring substance.

Food raw materials

At present, some coffee products sold on the market are not just beverages. Through the search of major e-commerce platforms, it is found that some merchants added "white kidney bean extract", "taurine", "probiotics", "L-carnitine" and other "functional" raw materials. In this reminder to the relevant enterprises, when adding these substances, the relevant regulatory requirements should be met, and the usage of the ingredient, label identification and other requirements should be cleared.

Key points of the labeling of coffee products

Roasted Coffee

The labelling of roasted coffee should comply with GB 7718-2011 National Food Safety Standard General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (hereinafter referred to as GB 7718) and the grade of quality should be indicated.

In addition, GB 28050-2011 National Food Safety Standard General Rules for the Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (hereinafter referred to as GB 28050) stipulated the prepackaged foods exempted from mandatory nutrition labeling, including prepackaged food of which daily intake ≤10g or 10mL, which refers to the food with less intake, less contribution to the intake of nutrients, or single ingredient seasoning, specifically including coffee bean and ground coffee. Therefore, nutrition labeling is not mandatory for roasted coffee bean and ground coffee.

Instant coffee brew

GB 29602-2013 Solid Beverages requires prepackaged products (coffee based beverages) to meet the requirements of GB 7718 and GB 28050, and the brewing method of the product should also be marked.

Coffee brew

GB/T 30767-2014 Coffee Based Beverages requires that the labels of coffee based beverages should conform to GB 7718 and GB 28050, and should also indicate the caffeine content of the products. When the coffee usage of a certain variety or a certain place accounts for more than 50% of the total coffee raw materials, the coffee raw material of a certain variety or a certain place can be claimed to be used.

Imported coffee products

In addition to the requirements of the above product standards, many products on the market may involve import problems. When a registered enterprise exports food to China in accordance with the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food, the Chinese registration number or the registration number approved by the competent authority of the country/region should be marked on the inside and outside packages of the food.

Function claims of coffee products

Most of the common coffee products on the market belong to general food, so the merchants should pay more attention when making function claims. For health foods that have been approved as coffee dosage form, function claims should be made in accordance with relevant regulations.

When coffee products are as general food, function claims should not be made. To make nutritional claims specified in GB 28050, such as "no energy", "low fat", "no sugar", "no or no trans fatty acids, etc., the corresponding requirements of GB 28050 should also be met.

If coffee products belong to health food, the health function and active ingredients claimed by the merchants should be consistent with the contents stated in the approval certificate.

Source: Antion

Note: This article is compiled by Antion, please indicate our source if reprint it.