The many imported organic milk powders and foreign milk powders of varying quality may no longer be able to slip through so easily. 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 rules, imported dairy products whose labels indicate foreign awards, honors, certification marks, and other such content must provide relevant supporting documents confirmed through diplomatic channels. Diplomatic channel confirmation refers to confirmation by our country's embassies and consulates abroad or by foreign embassies and consulates in China. Industry insiders pointed out that this new rule may cause the various foreign milk powders currently on the market that use claims of "organic milk powder" as a selling point for high-priced sales to rein themselves in somewhat.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
In addition, reporters learned that Guangdong inspection and quarantine authorities had already regulated imported dairy products according to 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.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
The new rules require that first-time imports undergo risk assessment.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
Reporters learned yesterday from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine that starting May 1, our country will implement stricter new rules for dairy imports. The new rules will add such content as “importers must conduct self-inspection on every batch” and “entry must undergo risk assessment and comply with China's national food safety standards.”บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/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 to 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.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
“Every batch of imported dairy products must be accompanied by a product test report. For dairy products imported for the first time, test reports for the items listed in the corresponding national food safety standards shall be provided. For dairy products not imported for the first time, test reports for the items required by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine shall be provided.”บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
According to the new rules, for dairy products imported for the first time, the importer or its agent shall, when applying for inspection, provide test reports for the items listed in the corresponding product's national food safety standards, including the standards for contaminants and mycotoxins in food referenced in the standards. The new rules explain that first-time import means “the first import of a certain product shipped from abroad 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's jurisdiction) shall be regarded as non-first-time imports.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
The new rules stipulate that if imported dairy products fail to meet safety and hygiene standards, then when imported again, the importer or its agent shall provide, for five consecutive batches, test reports for the items listed in the corresponding national food safety standards. If the non-compliant item is an illegally added substance, the test report shall include that item.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
Imported milk powder claiming “organic certification” must provide supporting documentation.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
In addition, reporters saw in the new rules on imported dairy products that for various honor labels on imported dairy product packaging, our country requires importing enterprises to provide “supporting documents confirmed through diplomatic channels.”บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
It is understood that foreign milk powders currently sold in China display a wide variety 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 this regard, from now on, any claim of “XX certification” must be supported by conclusive proof.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
According to the requirements of the new rules, for content such as foreign awards, honors, and certification marks indicated on imported dairy product labels, importers will be required to provide supporting documents confirmed through diplomatic channels. “Diplomatic channel confirmation refers to confirmation by our country's embassies and consulates abroad or by foreign embassies and consulates in China.”บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
With the full implementation of the new rules on imported dairy products 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 safeguard domestic dairy consumption safety. “This means that 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 more standardized.”บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
According to data from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, in 2012, inspection and quarantine departments at various ports across China found a total of 318 batches, 566 tons of non-compliant imported dairy products, including 43 batches, 80.95 tons of non-compliant infant formula milk powder.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
Industry impactบทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
Some enterprises may be eliminated.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
Reporters learned yesterday that Guangdong had already been inspecting and quarantining imported dairy products according to the new rules this year.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
According to the 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 numerous than before, and the approval time upon entry was also longer. “For the inspection and quarantine of imported milk powder upon entry, the testing cycle has changed from the original 2 weeks to about 1 month.” The person said that the main tested items and batches have both increased compared with before. “For example, previously 10 out of 100 batches of milk powder were sampled, but now every batch is tested; at the same time, all the main indicators on the milk powder formula list must be tested.”บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/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.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/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, among the testing items currently used by Guangdong inspection and quarantine authorities for dairy products imported from New Zealand, testing for dicyandiamide has been added.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/
The person in charge of the above-mentioned dairy enterprise pointed out that from shipping abroad to obtaining China's hygiene certificate, the industry previously could reserve 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 rules, 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, at present, smaller domestic imported dairy enterprises generally have annual sales of only around 10 million yuan. After the implementation of the new rules, 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.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/11416/