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Regulation

保健食品 (Health Food): China nutrition label

保健食品 (Health Food), the China GB 28050 nutrition label under Food Safety Law (2015, arts. 74, 79); GB 16740-2014; NRV per GB 28050-2011. Generate a compliant label free.

Reviewed against Food Safety Law (2015, arts. 74, 79); GB 16740-2014; NRV per GB 28050-2011 · Page updated October 25, 2026

Jurisdiction
China (packaged food sold at retail)
Regulation
Food Safety Law (2015, arts. 74, 79); GB 16740-2014; NRV per GB 28050-2011
Effective
1 October 2015
Official source
www.samr.gov.cn
Generate a China labelBack to all formats

Nutrition labelling requirements in China

Packaged food sold in China must carry a nutrition declaration under Food Safety Law (2015, arts. 74, 79); GB 16740-2014; NRV per GB 28050-2011. This page covers the China - 保健食品 (Health Food) format: Health food panel with NRV% - GB 16740, GB 28050-2011. A supplement panel lists whatever the product contains rather than a fixed set, but 25 nutrients have a published reference intake, values are declared 每日用量 and alongside a 营养素参考值%* column. 2 statements are mandatory on pack, including "保健食品不是药物，不能代替药物治疗疾病。". The panel carries the footnote "* NRV% 按 GB 28050-2011 营养素参考值计算". The panel is headed "保健食品". NFL builds a print-ready China GB 28050 nutrition label from your recipe, applying the rounding rules and reference intakes for China automatically, and exports it as PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG or EPS.

Official regulation

Citation
Food Safety Law (2015, arts. 74, 79); GB 16740-2014; NRV per GB 28050-2011
Effective
1 October 2015
Scope
China (packaged food sold at retail)
Source

Key facts

Panel heading
保健食品
Reference values defined
25 nutrients with a published reference intake
Column caption
每日用量
Percentage column
营养素参考值%*
Required footnote
* NRV% 按 GB 28050-2011 营养素参考值计算
Mandatory statements (2)
保健食品不是药物，不能代替药物治疗疾病。 and 本品不能代替药物，请按推荐剂量食用，不宜超量。

What a China health food (保健食品) label must show

Health foods in China are regulated under the Food Safety Law and the Health Food Registration and Filing Measures, both in force, with the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) as the national authority. The label and instructions must be truthful, must match the particulars approved at registration or accepted at filing, and must not state or imply that the product prevents or treats disease.

The health food particulars are mandatory: suitable population, unsuitable population, health function, active or characteristic ingredients and their amounts, intake amount and method, specification, storage conditions, shelf life and precautions. The statement 「本品不能代替药物」 ("this product cannot replace medicine") is also mandatory.

SAMR's warning guidelines add a prominent warning, 「保健食品不是药物，不能代替药物治疗疾病」 ("Health food is not medicine and cannot replace medicine for treating disease"). The warning area must take up at least 20% of the principal display panel, and on panels of 100 cm² or more the characters must be at least 6.0 mm high.

Source: Health Food Registration and Filing Measures, SAMR, and SAMR Health Food Warning Statement Labeling Guidelines (Announcement No. 29 of 2019).

The blue hat logo, registration and filing

The blue hat (小蓝帽) is the exclusive mark of health foods that have been lawfully registered or filed, and SAMR standardized its design in 2023. An ordinary food cannot become a health food by adding the mark.

Registration is mandatory for health foods using ingredients outside the Health Food Raw Material Catalogue, and for first-imported health foods, except first-imported vitamin, mineral and other nutrient supplements that qualify for filing. For imports, the applicant is the overseas manufacturer, acting through its representative office in China or an authorized Chinese agent.

Filing is the mandatory route for products made only from catalogue ingredients within the filing framework, including qualifying first-imported nutrient supplements. SAMR handles national registration and the filing of first-imported products.

Source: SAMR Health Food Mark Standardized Labeling Guidelines (Announcement No. 53 of 2023), and Health Food Registration and Filing Measures.

Ingredients, nutrient declaration and function claims

Health foods do not use the ordinary Nutrition Information Panel. GB 28050-2011, in force, expressly excludes health foods from its scope. Instead, the label must declare the registered or filed active or characteristic ingredients and their content, which is mandatory, and GB 16740-2014 sets the product standard for health foods.

Function claims must stay within the permitted health function list and within the product's own registration or filing. For catalogue-based nutrient supplements, SAMR's 2023 nutrient supplement and permitted function catalogues fix the allowed nutrient sources, use conditions and wording.

Under SAMR Announcement No. 23 of 2018, a function claim that was evaluated without human trials must be preceded by 「本品经动物实验评价」 ("evaluated by animal testing"), which is mandatory. Disease prevention or treatment claims are prohibited.

Source: GB 28050-2011, National Health Commission, GB 16740-2014, and SAMR Announcement No. 23 of 2018.

Importing supplements into China

An imported health food must hold registration or filing before it can be sold as a health food, and it must be a product its home country allows on the market. Products that do not go through this process cannot carry health food claims or the blue hat.

Chinese labelling is mandatory under GB 7718-2011, in force. Standard Chinese characters are required, any foreign text must correspond to the Chinese and generally not be larger, and imports must show the country of origin and the name, address and contact details of the Chinese agent, importer or distributor.

The Chinese label must match the registration certificate or filing record exactly, so a translated foreign label rarely works. New general standards, GB 7718-2025 and GB 28050-2025, take effect on 16 March 2027 and are transitional until then; artwork for products made from that date should be checked against them.

Source: GB 7718-2011, National Health Commission, and GB 7718-2025 official Q&A.

How NFL handles it

  • Applies the correct rounding rules for every nutrient
  • Uses the right Daily Value / Reference Intake table for this jurisdiction
  • Renders the required front-of-pack warnings automatically when thresholds are hit
  • Handles multilingual labels where required (bilingual EN/FR, EN/ES, Arabic + EN, etc.)
  • Exports print-ready vector PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG, and EPS

Common questions

What must a health food (保健食品) label show in China?
Suitable and unsuitable populations, the health function, active or characteristic ingredients and amounts, intake and method, specification, storage, shelf life and precautions, all matching the registration or filing. The medicine disclaimer and SAMR's prominent warning are also mandatory.
What is the blue hat logo?
It is the exclusive mark for registered or filed health foods, standardized by SAMR in 2023. Only products approved through the health food system may use it.
When is registration needed instead of filing?
Registration is needed for ingredients outside the Raw Material Catalogue and for most first-imported health foods. Filing applies to catalogue-based products, including qualifying first-imported vitamin and mineral supplements.
How are nutrients declared on a China health food label?
Through the registered or filed active or characteristic ingredients and their amounts. GB 28050-2011, the ordinary nutrition labelling standard, does not apply to health foods.
Who regulates health foods and are function claims allowed?
SAMR regulates health foods nationally. Claims are allowed only within the permitted function list and the product's registration or filing, and disease claims are prohibited.
What does an importer need to change for China?
The product needs registration or filing first, then a Chinese label that matches it exactly, with the blue hat, warnings, Chinese importer details and country of origin. New labelling standards apply from 16 March 2027.

How to generate one

  • Open the generator: free account, no credit card
  • Pick "China - 保健食品 (Health Food)" from the format rail
  • Enter your ingredients (search USDA FoodData Central or add a custom ingredient)
  • The label renders live; export in one click

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