GB 28050-2025National food safety standard - General rules for the nutrition labelling of prepackaged foods (English PDF)

1 Scope

GB 28050 is the nutrition labelling rule for prepackaged food in China, the companion to GB 7718 on general labelling, and between them they govern everything printed on a food package sold in the country. This standard sets what the nutrition information panel must contain and how it must be presented: the core nutrients that always have to be declared, the units and the reference values, the nutrient reference values used to express the percentage contribution, the rounding rules and the tolerances against which a declared value is checked in enforcement, the conditions under which a nutrition claim, a comparative claim or a function claim may be made and the wording permitted for each, the exemptions, and the format of the panel itself. The 2025 edition replaces GB 28050-2011 after fourteen years and takes effect in July 2026, extending the mandatory declarations and tightening the claim conditions. For an exporter, a manufacturer or a label designer working on the Chinese market, this is one of the two texts every package has to satisfy.

This standard specifies the description and explanation of food nutrition information and characteristics on the nutrition labels of prepackaged foods. This standard applies to nutrition labels of prepackaged foods directly provided to consumers. Prepackaged foods and food storage and transportation packages that are not directly provided to consumers, if marked with nutrition labels, shall be implemented in accordance with this standard.

2 Terms and definitions

2.1 Nutrition label Description and explanation of food nutrition information and characteristics provided to consumers on prepackaged food labels, including nutrition information table, nutrition claims, nutrition function claims and other supplementary information. Nutrition label is an integral part of prepackaged food labels.

2.2 Nutrition information table A normative table marked with the name, content, percentage of nutrient reference values of food energy and nutrients.

2.3 Energy The heat generated by protein, fat, carbohydrate components in food during human metabolism. The calculation of energy in food is based on the product and sum of the following energy supply component marked values and the corresponding energy conversion coefficients. The energy conversion coefficients of energy supply components are (kJ/g). protein 17, fat 37, carbohydrate 17. When dietary fiber content is marked, its energy is calculated using 8 kJ/g as the conversion coefficient.

2.4 Nutrients Substances in food that have specific physiological functions and can maintain the growth, development, activity, reproduction, normal metabolism of the body, including proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, etc.

2.5 Nutrition elements Nutrients and other food ingredients that are beneficial to physiological functions in food.

2.6 Nutrient reference value (NRV) Reference value used specifically for comparing the energy and nutrient content levels of foods in nutrition labels. Nutrient reference values are formulated in accordance with the "Dietary Nutrient Reference Intake for Chinese Residents", which are applicable to the nutrition labels of pre-packaged foods consumed by people over 36 months old ( >36 months old).

2.7 Nutritional claims Description and explanation of the nutritional characteristics of food. Nutritional claims include content claims and comparative claims.

3 Basic requirements

3.1 Pre-packaged foods shall be identified with nutrition labels. Any nutrition information and characteristic descriptions labeled shall be true and objective. False information shall not be labeled; the nutritional effect or other effects of the product shall not be exaggerated.

3.2 Pre-packaged food nutrition labels shall use standardized Chinese characters. If minority languages, foreign languages, etc. are used at the same time, their contents shall be consistent with the meaning of Chinese characters, meanwhile the character height shall not be greater than that of Chinese characters.

3.3 The nutrition information table shall be clear, eye-catching, durable; it shall be labeled in the form of a "block table" (except in special cases), vertical to the baseline of the package or label, with the table header "Nutrition Information Table".

3.4 The energy and nutrient content in the nutrition information table shall be labeled as specific values per 100 grams (g) and/or per 100 milliliters (mL) and/or per edible part; when labeled as per serving, the mass or volume of each serving of food shall be indicated on the same page.

3.5 The nutrition label shall comply with the format specifications of Appendix B; food companies may choose according to factors such as the nutritional characteristics of the food, the size and shape of the packaging area, etc.

3.6 The nutrition label shall be marked on the packaging of the smallest sales unit provided to consumers.

4 Mandatory labeling content

4.1 The mandatory content of the nutrition label of prepackaged food includes the content of energy, protein, fat, saturated fat (or saturated fatty acid), carbohydrates, sugar and sodium and their percentage of the nutrient reference value.

4.2 When a nutrition claim or a nutrient effect claim is made for a nutrient other than 4.1, the content of the nutrient and its percentage of the nutrient reference value shall be indicated in the nutrition table.

4.3 When a prepackaged food uses a nutrient fortifier, the content of the fortified nutrient and its percentage of the nutrient reference value shall be indicated in the nutrition table.

4.4 When hydrogenated and/or partially hydrogenated fats are used in the production process of food or its ingredients, the content of trans fatty acids shall be indicated in the nutrition table.

4.5 Prepackaged food shall be marked with "Children and adolescents shall avoid excessive intake of salt, oil, sugar" below the nutrition table.

5 Optional labeling content

5.1 Nutritional ingredients It is encouraged to label vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, calcium, iron, zinc, and other ingredients listed in Table 1 in the nutrition information table.

5.3 Nutrient effect claim When the labeled value of energy or a certain nutrient content meets the requirements and conditions of nutrition claim, one or more of the corresponding standard terms for effect claim in Appendix D can be used.

5.4 Serving size labeling When the energy and nutrient content of pre-packaged food is labeled by "serving", the mass or volume of each serving of food can be labeled by category, with reference to the food serving reference value recommended in Appendix E.

5.5 Other supplementary information The following information can be supplemented by graphics, text, etc.

6 Labeling and expression of energy and nutrients

6.1 The name and order, expression unit, rounding interval, "0" limit value of energy and nutrients in the Nutrition composition table shall comply with the provisions of Table

1.When a nutrient is not labeled, it shall be moved up in sequence.

7 Prepackaged foods exempted from mandatory nutrition labeling

The following prepackaged foods are exempted from mandatory labeling.

8 Others

The scope and method of nutrition labels for special dietary foods shall be implemented in accordance with GB 13432.

Appendix A

Nutrient reference values (NRV) for nutrition labels and use method A.1 Nutrient reference values (NRV) for nutrition labels The energy and 31 nutrient reference values specified are shown in Table A.1. A.2 Purpose and method of use The purpose of use is to describe the reference value of the energy or nutrient content level in food; it can be used as a comparison benchmark for nutrition claims. The method of use is to calculate the percentage of energy or nutrient content in food to the nutrient reference value, calculated as "nutrient reference value %" or "NRV%". A.3 Calculation of nutrient reference value percentage A.3.1 Calculation The calculation of the nutrient reference value percentage is shown in formula (A.1).

Appendix B

Nutrition label format specification B.1 This Appendix specifies the format of the nutrition label for prepackaged foods. B.2 Any of the following formats shall be selected for the design and production of nutrition labels. B.3 On the basis of ensuring compliance with basic format requirements and ensuring that consumers are not misled, appropriate adjustments can be made during layout design, including but not limited to. adjusting text format (left alignment, centering, etc.), background and table colors, or appropriately increasing or decreasing inner frame lines due to aesthetic requirements or for the convenience of consumer observation. B.5 The content of energy and nutrients is labeled by specific numerical values; its nutrient reference value % or NRV% can be labeled by "×" or "×%"; for nutrients without specified nutrient reference value (NRV), its nutrient reference value % or NRV% can be blank, or can be expressed by horizontal or slash. B.6 When the word "or" appears in the example, it can choose to mark one or both, such as "kilojoule kJ", "kilojoule/kJ", "kilojoule (kJ)". B.7 The nutrient reference value of the energy and nutrients listed can also be supplemented under the Nutrition composition table.