On June 15, 2021, the SAMR issued the Announcement on Strengthening the Quality and Safety Supervision of Solid Beverages (Draft for Comments) (Hereinafter referred to as the Draft), the deadline for comments is July 14, 2021.

The Draft requires that the name of solid beverage product shall not be the same or similar to the approved special food. The special name (solid beverages) indicated the true nature of the food shall be prominently labeled close to the product name with the largest font size.

In the same display page, a warning message of "The product cannot replace food for special medical purpose, infants and young children formula foods, health foods and other special foods" shall be labeled. The area of warning message occupied by shall not be less than 20% of the surface where it locates. The warning message is printed in black body.

The labels, instructions and promotional materials of solid beverages cannot state, imply or stress that the product is suitable for minors, the elderly, patients and other specific populations and disease prevention, treatment, and health-care function. Solid beverages shall not use the production process or the name of raw materials to state or imply that the product's disease prevention, treatment functions, health care functions and meet the special needs of people with specific diseases.

In May 2020, a store in Hunan Province sold a common food solid beverage as a food for special medical purpose to children with milk allergies. Many babies suffered eczema, severe weight loss and skull deformities similar to "big head dolls". This matter was exposed by the media and immediately aroused widespread public concern and the government proposed to strengthen the regulation of solid beverages. The release of the Draft further regulates the production, sale and promotion of solid beverages, strengthens the quality and safety supervision of solid beverages, to avoid the behavior of solid beverages posing as special food.

More information about solid beverages, please click Differences between Probiotic Solid Beverage and Health Food.