China publishes guide to national standard aimed at curbing excessive food packaging

25 Oct 2023 --- China is taking decisive action to combat the growing problem of excessive packaging in the food industry by publishing a guideline that addresses key industry questions on mandatory national standard, titled “Restricting Excessive Packaging of Commodities and Requirements for Fresh Edible Agricultural Products.”

The standard developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will enter into force on April 1, 2024. The US Department of Agriculture published a report providing an unofficial translation of the finalized Chinese standard.

“The mandatory national standard Restricting Excessive Packaging of Commodities Requirements for Fresh Edible Agricultural Products stipulates that excessive packaging refers to packaging in which the void ratio, number of packaging layers or packaging cost exceeds the requirements,” states the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).

The standard covers a wide range of fresh agri-food products and is designed to curb the excessive packaging prevalent in the industry.

SAMR emphasizes that the new standard provides a legal basis and backing to guide the strengthening of the entire supply chain management concerning the excessive packaging of commodities. This means that all businesses producing and managing fresh agri-food products will need to adhere to these standards, ensuring that the packaging they use is appropriate, rational and standardized according to market supervision.

The standard covers five major agri-food categories, including vegetables, fruits, livestock and poultry meats, aquatic products and eggs.Breakdown of rules 
The impact of the new regulations is expected to be profound, as fresh agri-food items are at the core of all packaged food production in China. The standard covers five major agri-food categories, including vegetables (including edible fungi), fruits, livestock and poultry meats, aquatic products, and eggs.

The ratio of packaging cost to the sales price of agri-food products is capped at 20% for general items and 15% for specific products with higher sales prices. The new regulations clearly distinguish between “sales packaging” and “logistics packaging,” acknowledging the need for additional packaging to protect perishable agri-food items during the supply chain and delivery.

“In view of the fresh and perishable characteristics of fresh edible agricultural products and industrial needs, sales packaging also has functions such as preservation and preservation in the supply chain of fresh edible agricultural products,” writes SAMR. 

“The definition of ‘sales packaging’ in Article 3.2 of the national standard specifically states that ‘it does not include logistics protective packaging and cooling, gas regulation, moisture-proof and other fresh-keeping functional supplies.’ Express packaging is logistics packaging and therefore does not count as sales packaging.”

Specific technical indicators have been provided to help businesses determine whether their products are over-packaged with excessive material. For instance, there’s a limit on the packaging void rate, which measures the volume of empty space in packaging. The number of packaging layers is also restricted, with different limits for various product categories.

It’s worth noting that all agri-food products produced or imported before the enforcement date will be allowed to be sold until the end of their shelf life. 

“The transition period between the release date and the implementation date of the mandatory national standard is six months,” states SAMR. “From the implementation date, fresh edible agricultural products that do not meet the new standard packaging requirements will not be allowed to be produced in the market. Therefore, we call on enterprises to complete rectifications and meet standards as soon as possible during the transition period.”

“Green and low carbon consumption”
These new standards reflect China’s ongoing commitment to reduce excessive packaging in the food industry, benefiting both the environment and consumers. With these regulations in place, businesses will need to reevaluate their packaging practices, potentially leading to a more sustainable and efficient approach to food packaging.

The government also calls on consumers to resist excessive packaging and practice green- and low-carbon consumption. “Consumers can generally simply judge whether a product is over-packaged by ‘looking first, asking second questions, and calculating three times.’”

“As long as one of the above three aspects does not meet the requirements, it can be initially determined as not meeting the standard requirements. We call on consumers to try not to purchase overly packaged goods, resist excessive packaging, and practice the concept of green and low-carbon consumption with their actions,” stresses SAMR.

By Radhika Sikaria