Based on the latest GB 7718-2025 and the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Food Labeling, significant adjustments will be made to the management requirements for labels of prepackaged foods. To help industry enterprises quickly understand these changes, Antion interpreted GB 7718-2025 for reference.

PART. 1 Optimized and adjusted the overall standard structure

The management requirements for domestic and imported foods are stipulated in separate chapters, making the structure clearer; Some contents were deleted and integrated. For example, some terms and definitions with specific regulations such as "production date, shelf-life" or easy-to-understand contents were streamlined, and the definition of the principal display panel were removed.

PART. 2 Adjusted the scope of prepackaged foods and refined the management requirements of provisions

Regarding the basic requirements for prepackaged foods, GB 7718-2025 aligns with the regulatory principles of the market supervision department. Meanwhile, some requirements were refined. For example, it is newly stipulated that label content should not violate the public order and good customs; In view of possible counterfeit products in the market, it is specifically clarified that no attempt should be made to cause confusion among consumers through forms such as "font size, color difference and layout". In terms of efficacy promotion, it is prohibited to express or imply the role of preventing or treating diseases by means of "language, words, graphics, symbols, etc.". Some products in the market that imply functions through "peculiar" graphics may face great challenges after the official implementation of the standard.

For the ingredients list, GB 7718 - 2025 adjusted the labeling requirements for some items. For example, the name of a compound ingredient must be marked compulsorily. For compound food additives, all food additives that play a role in the final product should be marked in details. Food additives can adopt the corresponding labeling methods in the appendix according to the packaging area. For directly added strains, the labeling requirements are specified respectively according to the process and their functions in foods.

Regarding ingredient emphasis and quantitative labeling, compared with the current version, GB 7718-2025 clearly requires that the ingredient names appearing in the product name belong to special emphasis. Regarding the use of product pictures, GB 7718-2025 officially "incorporated" the statement "The pattern is for flavor reference only", and clearly requires that "When using food flavorings or spices to prepare a certain ingredient or food flavor, only patterns other than the real photos of the relevant ingredients or food can be used". Regarding "no addition" that has frequently been in the spotlight in recent years, it is clearly stipulated that it is prohibited to use words such as "no addition", "zero addition" and their synonyms to particularly emphasize food ingredients. For food additives, contaminants and substances that are not allowed to be added to foods or should not exist in foods as stipulated by laws, regulations and standards, the new standard also stipulates that words such as "no", "free" and their synonyms should not be used for claims.

Enterprises should also consider the special regulations regarding the character height of the shelf-life and the labeling panel in the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Food Labeling.

PART. 3 Mandatory labeling of eight major allergenic substances

GB 7718-2025 officially changes the labeling of allergenic substances from a recommended requirement to a mandatory one. The categories of allergenic substances are the same as that in the current version, with a total of 8 major categories: cereals containing gluten and their products, crustaceans and their products, fish and their products, eggs and their products, peanuts and their products, soybeans and their products, milk and dairy products (including lactose), nuts and their nutlet products.

PART. 4 Further refined the management of imported prepackaged food labels

The requirements for the correspondence between Chinese and foreign languages are made more explicit and stringent. For example, based on the requirement that imported prepackaged foods should have Chinese labels, it is required that the mandatory labeling content should be in one-to-one correspondence; the product ingredients list should be prepared based on the actual ingredients of the product, which put forward higher requirements for domestic importers/agents, such as stronger traceability capabilities instead of translating the product label in foreign language.

Regarding the labeling requirements for the country (region) of origin, GB 7718-2025 clearly defined the principles. For example, if a product is produced through multiple countries (regions), it should be marked the country (region) where the last substantial change occurred. For filled or sub-packaged products, the country (region) of filling or sub-packaging should be marked simultaneously.

PART. 5 Newly added the requirements for digital labels

GB 7718-2025 stipulated the management of digital labels as follows: (1) Its implementation is encouraged on the premise that the label of prepackaged food complies with the requirements of the standard; (2) It should be easily accessible, with no restrictions on its form. The content should be consistent with that of the physical label, and the information can be directly obtained after machine recognition; (3) For some situations clearly defined in the standard, the label information can be simplified as specified.

GB 7718-2025 will be officially implemented on March 16, 2027, that is, there is an almost two-year transition period for GB 7718-2025. In accordance with the Measures for the Administration of Food Safety Standards, it is recommended that enterprises prepare and make adjustments in advance during the transition period, and they can implement relevant changes ahead of time in light of the actual situation of their products and the market.

Antion is a regulation consulting company dedicated to the food industry. With years of experience in the review of prepackaged food labels and import and export of foods. If you have any relevant questions, please feel free to contact us.

Source: Antion

Note: This article is compiled by Antion. Please indicate the source for reprint.