On January 18, 2024, the National Health Commission issued a notice to solicit comments on the National Standard for Food Safety General Rules for Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (Exposure Draft, hereinafter referred to as the “GB 7718 Exposure Draft”). Compared with the previous version of the Exposure Draft, the requirements on digital labeling have been added. At present, China has completed the first batch of digital labeling pilot work, the second batch of pilot work is underway. For the pilot promotion work, the National Health Commission, Food Evaluation Center and other organizations for China’s pre-packaged food digital labeling pilot work in detail, here, food partner network with a review of China’s food digital labeling pilot promotion of the basic requirements and the latest progress, and welcome your digital labeling comments and suggestions.

Digital Labeling and its Labeling Requirements

1.1 Digital Labeling
Digital labels refer to food labels displayed on food packages by means of information technology such as QR codes, and consumers can obtain food labeling information by scanning the QR codes on food packages.

1.2 Requirements of GB 7718 Exposure Draft
In order to expand the display form of food labels, help food production enterprises to meet the needs of innovation and development, and provide convenience for consumers to read food labels, the GB 7718 Exposure Draft adds the requirements of digital labels. Food manufacturers can choose whether to use digital labels as labeling carriers. When the use of digital labels, should be consistent with the relevant provisions of the standard and to ensure that the relevant labeling information in the scanning code to obtain information directly after the first page to display, while avoiding pop-up ads and other interferences to consumers to read food labeling information.

The content of digital labeling should be in line with the provisions of GB 7718. Meanwhile, regardless of whether digital labels are used or not, food physical labels should be labeled according to the requirements of GB 7718. In order to save food labeling space, in addition to the name of the legally liable food producer, when the food enterprise uses digital labels to correctly label the name, address, contact information, product standard code, implementation of the standard number of the food producer and operator in accordance with the requirements of GB 7718, the relevant content can be exempted from labeling in the physical label.

Advantages and characteristics of digital labels

Digital labels have no layout restrictions, the font size can be enlarged, easier for consumers to read, but also through pictures, audio, video and other ways to enrich the food labeling means of information transfer, to facilitate consumers of all ages and specific needs to understand the food information.

It can be scanned online through cell phones and other portable devices, enriching the means of informationization supervision and helping to improve the efficiency of market supervision. It can provide more space for enterprises to display labeling information, save the cost of label printing, help enterprise innovation and green sustainable development, and enhance the efficiency of enterprise management.

Digital Labeling Pilot Requirements

3.1 Digital labeling pilot technical requirements
The content displayed on digital labels shall be in line with laws, regulations and national standards for food safety, and shall be consistent with the information displayed on the physical label of the food at the same time. When using digital labels, digital labels shall be provided by digital means in accordance with national standards and their identity shall be indicated in the proximity of the digital labels through the words “Digital Label” or similar words.

Digital tags should be provided through the form of easy access to encourage compatibility with a variety of means of identification. Digital label labeling content should be scanned directly after the first page display and should not affect the normal reading of the interference elements. Digital labeling content should be clear, eye-catching, easy to read. Food producers can provide digital labels according to the needs of specific consumer groups, such as in the text logo on the basis of video, voice recognition and other ways to provide food information.

3.2 Digital Labeling Pilot Platform Selection
The digital label display platform is determined by the pilot enterprise itself. The pilot enterprise may use the food enterprise’s own platform to independently design the digital label display page, or use a third-party platform to display the digital label. Regardless of which platform is used, it should be ensured that the display information meets the basic requirements of the pilot work and has the basic functions to facilitate consumers to read the food labeling information, such as the page can be zoomed in and out.

China’s digital labeling pilot

On November 21, 2023, the Food Department of the National Health and Health Commission organized the National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment and other organizations to hold a food “digital labeling” salon in Beijing to show the results of the pilot work on food digital labeling. More than 40 products from more than 20 food enterprises participated in the first batch of digital labeling pilot, involving vegetable oil, meat products, convenience food, nuts, drinking water, beverages, dairy products, frozen food, baked food, health food, alcohol and other food categories, so as to facilitate consumers’ experience.

In January 2024, in order to further expand the scale of the pilot and launch the second round of the pilot, the National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (NCFSRA) issued “Food Assessment Center Welcomes Food Industry to Join the Pilot Work on Digital Labeling of Prepackaged Foods”, which details the matters related to the development of the pilot work on digital labeling of food, such as the selection of display platforms, the listing of the pilot products, the inquiry of the pilot products on digital labeling, and the participation of the pilot scope of enterprises participating in the pilot, etc. And on January 18, a symposium on the promotion and application of food digital labels was held in Luohe City, Henan Province.

In February 2024, in order to understand consumers’ habit of reading food labels and collect consumers’ demand for the content and way of obtaining information on food labels, the National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (NCFSRA) organized a questionnaire survey on “Consumers’ Reading Behavior and Habits of Food Labels”.

Opinion Collection|Opinions and Suggestions on Digital Labeling

Relevant leaders of the Food Department of the National Health Commission and experts from the National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (NCFSRA) will visit Shandong Province at the end of February 2024 to carry out a special research on the promotion of digital labeling of food products, and plan to hold a seminar on digital labeling of pre-packaged food products in Shandong Province on February 29th in Zhucheng City, Weifang. The meeting is organized by Shandong Provincial Health Commission and will be broadcasted live through FoodPartner.com’s Food Learning Treasure platform.
①Click the link on PC to register:
https://study.foodmate.net/meeting?id=1335
② Mobile phone end sweep code registration:
It is understood that Shandong Province will organize the province’s food production enterprises to gradually carry out the pilot promotion of digital labeling of prepackaged food. The provincial health commission said that food industry enterprises in Shandong province are welcome to join the pilot work of digital labeling of prepackaged food.
In order to do a good job of promoting food digital labeling in Shandong Province, commissioned by the Provincial Health Commission, Food Partners Network for the majority of food enterprises to collect questions, comments and suggestions about the promotion of digital labeling, the relevant enterprises can give us feedback on the issue, we will be consolidated and organized and submitted to the Shandong Provincial Health Commission.