All the time, China customs has implemented a market access system for imported infant and young children formula milk powder (hereinafter referred to as infant formulas) and has strict inspection and quarantine supervision requirements. Recently, China customs has answered the questions about the relevant requirements of imported infant formulas.

Infant Formulas under the Following Circumstances Shall Not be Imported

l  Infant formulas with a shelf life of less than 3 months cannot be imported.

l  It is strictly prohibited to sub-package infant formulas in China. Imported infant formulas must be filled in the smallest retail package sold to consumers directly. Bulk packaging of infant formulas are not allowed to be imported.

l  Chinese label of imported infant formulas must be directly printed on the smallest sales package before entry. Infant formulas without a Chinese label are not allowed to be imported.

The Differences of Domestic and Foreign Infant Formulas Standards

Infant formulas standards are formulated based on factors such as the eating habits and dietary nutrition level. Taking the protein content in infant formulas as an example, the intake of dairy protein in the daily diet of residents in Europe, America, Australia, and New Zealand is significantly higher than that of Chinese residents, so the requirement for protein content of their infant formulas is lower than that of China. For example, for older infant formulas (stage 2 and stage 3), the protein content is generally 0.45-0.8g/100kJ specified in the European standard, while the protein content is 0.7-1.2g/100kJ specified in Chinese standard. The protein content specified in European standard is generally 30%-40% lower than that in Chinese standard.

Customs Supervision of Infant Formulas Imported through Formal Channels

Foreign infant formulas exported to China through formal channels need to break through "seven barriers".

l  The first “barrier” is market access. The GACC conducts risk assessment on the country that applies for import for the first time and its products, and only products from countries with acceptable risks are allowed to be imported.

l  The second "barrier" is enterprise registration. Overseas production enterprises should be established with the approval of the competent government department of the exporting country or region, comply with the relevant requirements of laws and regulations of the exporting country or region, and ensure that the dairy products exported to China meet China national food safety standards and relevant requirements.

l  The third "barrier" is the filing of importers and exporters. Domestic importers should have food safety professional and technical personnel, management personnel, and rules and regulations to ensure food safety.

l  The fourth "barrier" is that the foreign official health certificate must be attached. The certificate clearly states that the raw materials of dairy products are from healthy animals, the dairy product manufacturers are under the supervision of the local government authority, and the dairy products are safe for human consumption.

l  The fifth "barrier" is that the test report of the product must be attached to prove that the product meets the requirements of Chinese standards.

l  The sixth "barrier" is that the Chinese label of the product must be directly printed on the smallest sales package. The label shall include the product name, ingredient list, specification, country or region of origin, nutrition information, and the name, address and contact information of the domestic agent, importer or distributor.

l  The seventh "barrier" is the inspection of imported dairy products by local customs in accordance with Chinese relevant regulations and standards.

Only imported infant formulas that have passed the above "seven barriers" can enter China smoothly. It can be said that the requirements of Chinese inspection and quarantine, supervision and management for imported infant formulas are very strict.