In response to consumer complaints about difficulties finding, reading, and calculating the production dates and shelf lives of pre-packaged foods, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), in accordance with the Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China and relevant standards and regulations, recently issued Announcement on Encouraging Food Enterprises to Improve the Labeling of Production Dates and Shelf Lives of Pre-packaged Foods (hereinafter referred to as the Announcement) to address these concerns.
The Announcement aims to encourage food enterprises to adopt targeted measures to empower consumers with enhanced clarity and transparency in their food choices. Specific provisions include requirements for the location, size, and clarity of production dates and shelf lives labeling, sequence of dates, as well as methods for indicating shelf life. Furthermore, food enterprises are encouraged to standardize packaging dates for subdivided foods.
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