Your Guide to Chinese Organic Labels

It’s always hard to know what the hell you’re buying when you purchase food in China. And while we certainly can’t verify everything, we CAN help you know what sort of labels to look for when purchasing organic food. Hopefully  this helps, and if not you can just stick to eating white rice.

STEP ONE: Look for the organic labeling

Each product which is truly organic has a certificate label enclosed. To avoid the fake one here is the way to check their reliability. Each Organic labeling comes with a QR code printed on the packaging. To get more information about (and assure the quality of) the product, you need to scan it. 

Sometimes all the information will be directly displayed in the first window. Otherwise you will need to add the tracking number of your product. This one is located at the bottom of the organic labeling, where it s written”刮开涂层得有机码”or “scratch the organic code”. Hence you need to scratch it to see the number.

You get the name of the certification organization (there are 23 in China, one for each region), homologation number, kind of certificate… 

How does it prove it is an authentic organic product?

In order to ensure the traceability of organic products, CNCA (China Organic Food Certification) requires organic distributors to obtain the certification of organic products and printed it on the product. Hence, each product has a unique encoded certification mark, which comes in the form of a 17-digit code. You can enter it to find your product number on their website (http://food.cnca.cn). This is how you will get a 100% certified organic product.  

STEP TWO: The Label QS “Quality Safety” 

You’ve probably noticed this label before on one of your favorite snacks. It’s a QS code that indicates the supplier has been inspected by the CFDA (China Food and Drug Administration). The definition of this label refers to a very serious quality control and means the product passed ‘rigorous testing.’ 

If your product doesn’t show it though, don’t worry, since the 1st of October, 2015, the government stopped requiring this label to be printed. Many still do it, but the label will eventually disappear after October 1, 2018. Instead, the manufacturing permit code will be added on the packaging. 

STEP THREE: Date of production and expiration date 

In many western countries we are used to seeing the production date and its expiration written on the packaging. China does this as well, but in a slightly different way. You need to do some math (damn), since products typically only display the production date. Although the quality guarantee period is also written, but in month or in days. Where to find it? Read the label, it is usually put above the nutritive information. You will find it in front of保质期 (Quality guarantee period). 

STEP FOUR:  Importation certificate labeling

Due to Chinese regulations, all imported products need to have a label written in Chinese concerning the supplier, the ingredients contained, and nutrition information in order to get approved by the AQSIQ (Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine). Without this certificate products are not allowed to be distributed in China. It is necessary but a bit annoying as it often covers up the product’s original printed nutritional info.

CONTRIBUTOR

Kate & Kimi is a community based, online grocery delivery service, available to Shanghai & Suzhou residents. They specialized in Farm Fresh vegetables & healthy imported goods. www.kateandkimi.com

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