The multitude of imported organic milk powders and foreign milk powders of varying quality may no longer be able to get past quality checks by deception. Reporters learned yesterday that the new version of the “Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Inspection and Quarantine of Imported and Exported Dairy Products” will officially take effect on May 1. Among the new regulations, it is stipulated that for content such as foreign awards, honors, and certification marks indicated on the labels of imported dairy products, relevant certification documents confirmed through diplomatic channels shall be provided. Diplomatic channel confirmation refers to confirmation by our country's embassies and consulates abroad or foreign embassies and consulates in China. Industry insiders pointed out that this new regulation may cause various foreign milk powders currently sold on the market at high prices under the selling point of so-called "organic milk powder" to rein themselves in.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
In addition, reporters learned that the Guangdong inspection and quarantine authorities had already regulated imported dairy products in accordance with the new rules earlier this year. As our country implements increasingly strict import supervision over imported dairy products, some small enterprises may be eliminated from the market.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
New regulations require that first-time imports undergo risk assessment.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
Reporters learned yesterday from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine that starting May 1, our country will implement stricter new regulations on dairy imports. The new regulations will add content such as “importers must conduct self-inspection for each batch” and “entry must undergo risk assessment and comply with China's national food safety standards.”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
According to the Guangdong Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, our country implements an access system for imported dairy products. Risk assessments are conducted for countries and their products applying for import for the first time, and only products from countries whose risks are within an acceptable range are permitted to be imported. At present, dairy products from 30 countries including the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and France are allowed to be imported.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
“Each batch of imported dairy products must be accompanied by a product test report. For dairy products imported for the first time, test reports for items listed in the corresponding national food safety standards shall be provided. For dairy products not imported for the first time, test reports for items required by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine shall be provided.”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
According to the new regulations, for dairy products imported for the first time, the importer or its agent shall, when applying for inspection, provide test reports for items listed in the corresponding national food safety standards for the product, including standards for contaminants and mycotoxins in food cited in the standards. The new regulations explain that first-time import means “the first import of a certain product shipped from overseas through a certain port shall be regarded as a first-time import.” Subsequent batches of the same product imported through the same port (referring to the same directly affiliated bureau jurisdiction) shall be regarded as non-first-time imports.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
The new regulations stipulate that if imported dairy products fail to meet standards in safety and hygiene items, then when imported again, the importer or its agent shall provide test reports for items listed in the corresponding national food safety standards for 5 consecutive batches. If the non-compliant item is an illegally added substance, the test report shall include that item.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
Imported milk powder claiming “organic certification” must provide proof.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
In addition, reporters saw from the new regulations on imported dairy products that for various honor labels on the labels of imported dairy products, our country requires importing enterprises to provide “certification documents confirmed through diplomatic channels.”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
It is understood that foreign milk powders currently sold domestically claim all kinds of “special honors” on their outer packaging and in related publicity. When a reporter entered “imported organic milk powder” on Taobao yesterday, 8,478 items immediately appeared. Some claimed to be “organic milk powder” certified by a certain institution, some claimed to be the only certified organic infant milk powder in Australia and New Zealand, and some claimed to be Swiss organic milk powder. In response, from now on, any claim of “XX certification” must be supported by conclusive proof.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
According to the requirements of the new regulations, for content such as foreign awards, honors, and certification marks indicated on the labels of imported dairy products, importers will be required to provide certification documents confirmed through diplomatic channels. “Diplomatic channel confirmation refers to confirmation by our country's embassies and consulates abroad or foreign embassies and consulates in China.”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
The full implementation of the new regulations on imported dairy products is approaching. Song Liang, a dairy industry analyst at the China Commerce Circulation Productivity Promotion Center, believes that this will further raise the quality and safety threshold for our country's imports of foreign milk powder and will help ensure the safety of domestic dairy consumption. “This means imported dairy products can begin to be traced back to their source, counterfeit and inferior foreign milk powder will be kicked out of the market, and the entire foreign milk powder industry will also become standardized.”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
According to data from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, in 2012, inspection and quarantine departments at various ports across our country detected a total of 318 batches and 566 tons of non-compliant imported dairy products, including 43 batches and 80.95 tons of non-compliant infant formula milk powder.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
Industry impact.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
Some enterprises may be eliminated.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
Reporters learned yesterday that Guangdong had already inspected and quarantined imported dairy products in accordance with the new regulations this year.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
According to a relevant person in charge of a company in Guangdong that imports dairy products from overseas for domestic sale, when the company's dairy products entered the country this year, the inspection and quarantine items and procedures they underwent were more than before, and the approval time upon entry was also longer. “For imported milk powder, the inspection and quarantine testing cycle upon entry changed from the original 2 weeks to about 1 month.” The person said that the main testing items and batches both increased compared with before. “For example, previously 10 out of 100 batches of milk powder were sampled for inspection, but now every batch is tested; at the same time, all major indicators on the milk powder formula list must be tested.”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
A relevant person from the Guangdong Inspection and Quarantine Bureau also said that there are currently more than 60 testing items for infant formula foods. Full-item testing is conducted on dairy products imported for the first time.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
It is reported that for some newly emerging risk substances, or risk substances that may be added to dairy products, relevant departments will also increase sampling inspections and monitoring. For example, the Guangdong inspection and quarantine authorities have currently added testing for dicyandiamide among the testing items for dairy products imported from New Zealand.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/
The relevant person in charge of the aforementioned dairy enterprise pointed out that from shipping abroad to obtaining China's hygiene certificate, the industry previously could generally allow an average of 2-3 months, but now an additional month must be reserved. “This is equivalent to an extra month of inventory. Increased inventory will lead to tied-up funds and increased costs. In addition, more testing items mean higher testing fees. Due to the various cost increases caused by the new regulations, the pressure on many small and medium-sized enterprises is considerable, and it is estimated that some small enterprises will withdraw.” According to industry insiders, smaller domestic imported dairy enterprises generally have annual sales of only around 10 million yuan. After the implementation of the new regulations, their annual testing fees may increase to about 5 percent of total sales. Some small enterprises with annual sales of only a few million yuan are very likely to be eliminated from the market because they cannot bear this testing fee.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11416/