Overview of Food Industry Regulatory Policies in September 2026

Foodmate News: In September 2026, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the National Health Commission, the National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment and other departments issued a series of food industry regulatory policies. Foodmate has compiled and summarized them as follows:

1. The National Health Commission released 50 new national food safety standards and amendments

In accordance with the provisions of the Food Safety Law, the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued Announcement No. 6 of 2026, releasing 50 new national food safety standards and amendments. Guided by the orientation of preventing risks, safeguarding health and promoting development, the newly released standards refine the control requirements of the entire food safety chain. They are not only an important guarantee of consumers' health rights and interests, but also a "hard yardstick" for regulatory enforcement, and an important basis for enterprises' compliant production.

The three food safety standards published this time, namely the Specification for the Control of Acrylamide Contamination in Food, the Specification for the Control of Lead Contamination in Food, and the Specification for the Control of Tin Contamination in Tinplate Canned Food, are standards of the contaminant control specification category. They can guide enterprises in establishing a whole-process hygiene control system, formulating different control measures according to the source characteristics of contaminants, and preventing relevant contamination risks from the source and process of production; they can also provide a basis for regulatory departments to carry out on-site supervision and enforcement, serving the whole-chain supervision of food safety. Based on the actual development of the dairy industry, Milk Protein clarifies the terms and definitions, core technical indicators and labeling of milk protein products, which helps promote the orderly and standardized development of milk ingredient processing and safeguards the right to know and the right to choose of users and consumers of milk protein products. Quality specification standards for food additives such as the National Food Safety Standard General Rules for Food Flavorings and their amendments stipulate the sensory indicators, main component content, impurity requirements, lead, arsenic and other technical indicators of food flavorings and other food additives, add descriptions of commercialized products, and further improve the management requirements for relevant food additives.

Related reports:

Announcement of the National Health Commission on the Release of 50 National Food Safety Standards and Amendments including the National Food Safety Standard Milk Protein (GB 31668-2026) (No. 6 of 2026)

1. The State Administration for Market Regulation released the Questions and Answers on Labeling of Infant Formula Foods

In order to implement relevant provisions such as the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Food Labeling and guide manufacturers of infant formula foods (infant formula milk powder and infant formula liquid milk) to further standardize labeling, on September 20 the State Administration for Market Regulation released the Questions and Answers on Labeling of Infant Formula Foods (hereinafter referred to as the Q&A).

The Q&A clarifies the labeling requirements for the production date and shelf life, allergen warnings, milk source, and information on the producer of the formulated recipe of infant formula foods, and emphasizes that after label adjustments, filing shall be made with the provincial market regulation department in accordance with the law. At the same time, it requires that the content, format and color of the labels of products with the same recipe of the same enterprise shall be consistent; if a milk source claim is made, it shall be clearly marked on the label and shall not be distinguished by packaging color (including can lids) or can body shape.

The Q&A reminds manufacturers that infant formula foods produced before the date of implementation of the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Food Labeling (March 16, 2027) shall not continue to be sold if the labeling content violates the prohibitive provisions of the regulations (such as explicitly or implicitly indicating content that shall not be labeled, such as enhancing immunity); if it does not violate the prohibitive provisions, it may be sold until the end of the shelf life.

Related reports: Questions and Answers on Labeling of Infant Formula Foods

1. The 2026 annual project initiation plan for national food safety standards was issued

On September 1, the National Health Commission issued a notice. In order to implement the "most rigorous standards" requirement for food safety, and in accordance with the provisions of the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementing regulations, the National Health Commission formulated the 2026 Annual Project Initiation Plan for National Food Safety Standards.

The Plan initiates a total of 45 projects, covering nine categories of standards: 1 general standard (revision of the standard for the use of food additives), 7 food additive standards, 9 food product standards (including the revision of cured meat products, instant noodles and pickled vegetables, and the formulation of caseinate, D-allulose, etc.), 14 standards for physical and chemical testing methods and procedures, 7 standards for microbiological testing methods and procedures, 1 toxicological evaluation procedure and method, 1 standard for radioactive substances in food, 3 food nutritional fortifiers, and 2 nutrition and special dietary food standards.

The notice requires that standard development should take safeguarding people's health as its purpose and risk assessment results as its basis; the lead unit of the project is responsible for establishing the standard drafting collaboration group and providing guarantees such as personnel and funding; each undertaking unit must, before September 5, 2026, submit the entrustment agreement through the national food safety standard management information system, and formulate a work plan, project roadmap and schedule, to ensure the quality of standard development; measures such as recovering funds and canceling the qualification for re-application will be taken for projects not completed on schedule.

Related reports:

Notice of the General Office of the National Health Commission on Printing and Distributing the 2026 Annual Project Initiation Plan for National Food Safety Standards (Guo Wei Ban Shi Pin Han [2026] No. 287)

1. The risk control checklist for online food sales was released

The State Administration for Market Regulation issued the Food Safety Risk Control Checklist related to online food sales, focusing on three types of entities: operators of livestreaming e-commerce platforms, providers of third-party online food trading platforms, and food sales enterprises online, clarifying one by one the risk control links, risk points, control measures, control objectives and control frequency, and providing an operational guide for online food sales enterprises to precisely prevent and control food safety risks.

The risk control checklist released this time adheres to risk orientation, bottom-line thinking and precise policy implementation, breaking down the entire chain of online food sales into the smallest work units, and promoting the transformation of online food sales enterprises from "passively coping with inspections" to "actively preventing and controlling risks".

Related reports:

Notice of the General Office of the State Administration for Market Regulation on Printing and Distributing the Food Safety Risk Control Checklist for Operators Related to Online Food Sales

1. The State Administration for Market Regulation released the Detailed Rules for the Review of Biscuit Production Licenses (2026 Edition)

On September 29, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued an announcement releasing the Detailed Rules for the Review of Biscuit Production Licenses (2026 Edition).

The Rules focus on revising and improving three aspects. First, improving the scope of licensing. In light of the development trends of increasingly diverse application of new raw materials in the biscuit industry, continuously enriched product types, and accelerated popularization of new process equipment, it further clarifies the scope of biscuits and biscuit crumbs, as well as the details of 13 specific biscuit varieties, better fitting the actual biscuit production and the development needs of the industry. Second, strictly controlling risks. It requires clarifying the key food safety links in the production process through hazard analysis methods and establishing corresponding food safety control measures; in light of the characteristics of biscuit raw materials and production processes, it refines quality and safety control measures for key links such as fermentation, egg liquid treatment and storage of perishable raw materials; and it further clarifies the production site, equipment and facilities, and conventional process flow, etc. Third, refining the requirements for food safety management systems. It further clarifies food safety management systems such as incoming goods inspection and factory inspection, adds relevant requirements such as supplier evaluation and entrusted testing, and refines the content of personnel training management.

The Rules shall take effect as of January 1, 2027, and the Detailed Rules for the Review of Biscuit Production Licenses (2005 Edition) published by the former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine shall be abolished at the same time.

The release of the Rules is of great significance for further standardizing biscuit production licensing, effectively safeguarding biscuit quality and safety, and boosting the high-quality development of the biscuit industry.

Related reports:

Announcement of the State Administration for Market Regulation on the Release of the Detailed Rules for the Review of Biscuit Production Licenses (2026 Edition) (No. 29 of 2026)

1. The State Administration for Market Regulation released technical guidance documents for clinical trials of food for special medical purposes with specific full nutrition formulas for sarcopenia, dyslipidemia, obesity and bariatric surgery

Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation released three technical guidance documents, namely the Technical Guidelines for Clinical Trials of Food for Special Medical Purposes with Specific Full Nutrition Formulas Sarcopenia, the Technical Guidelines for Clinical Trials of Food for Special Medical Purposes with Specific Full Nutrition Formulas Dyslipidemia, and the Technical Guidelines for Clinical Trials of Food for Special Medical Purposes with Specific Full Nutrition Formulas Obesity and Bariatric Surgery.

Food for special medical purposes (abbreviated as FSMP) is formula food specially processed and formulated to meet the special needs for nutrients or diet of people with restricted eating, digestive and absorption disorders, metabolic disorders or specific disease states, and is divided into full nutrition formula food, specific full nutrition formula food and non-full nutrition formula food. The registration of specific full nutrition formula food is stricter than other categories of FSMP; in addition to general application materials, materials proving the clinical effectiveness of the product such as clinical trial reports also need to be submitted.

The guidance documents released this time combine the requirements of the Good Clinical Practice for Food for Special Medical Purposes and the pathophysiological characteristics of patients with sarcopenia, dyslipidemia, and obesity and bariatric surgery, and set out in detail the contents of trial objectives, trial protocol design, observation indicators, etc. They aim to guide enterprises and clinical trial institutions to standardize the clinical trial process of corresponding categories of specific full nutrition formula food, ensure that data and results are scientific, authentic and reliable, improve the efficiency of registration review and approval, help promote product research, development and registration, optimize market supply, and better meet the clinical nutrition needs of patients.

Related reports: Announcement of the State Administration for Market Regulation on the Release of 3 Documents including the Technical Guidelines for Clinical Trials of Food for Special Medical Purposes with Specific Full Nutrition Formulas Sarcopenia

1. The Detailed Rules for the Review of Sugar Production Licenses (Draft for Comments) was open for public comments

In order to further standardize the review of sugar production licenses, adapt to the new situation of industrial upgrading, process innovation and product iteration in the industry, and build a solid defense line for sugar quality and safety, recently, on the basis of full investigation and extensive solicitation of opinions, and in accordance with laws, regulations, rules and national food safety standards such as the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and the Measures for the Administration of Food Production Licensing, the State Administration for Market Regulation researched and drafted the Detailed Rules for the Review of Sugar Production Licenses (Draft for Comments) (hereinafter referred to as the Rules), and formally solicited public comments from all sectors of society. The deadline for feedback is October 16.

Aiming to urge enterprises to implement the primary responsibility for food safety, standardize sugar production licensing work and promote the high-quality development of the sugar industry, and in light of the actual situation of sugar production, the Rules broaden the scope of licensing, adding subcategories such as brown sugar, liquid sugar and other sugar, achieving full coverage of the sugar varieties listed in the national food safety standards. It clarifies the requirements for sugar production sites, equipment, facilities and processes, personnel and management systems, and inspection of trial-produced products, preventing food safety risks from the source. It strictly tightens the review requirements for repackaging enterprises, stipulating that sugar repackaging enterprises shall establish and implement a raw material supplier review system, formulate an acceptance system for the sugar raw materials they purchase, and strictly implement inspection requirements for finished products. At the same time, it clearly stipulates that starch sugar shall not be added to sugar, and production enterprises shall not use compound sugar, compound syrup or premixed powder as raw materials to produce and process sugar; brown sugar production shall have a complete production process starting from sugarcane processing; where there is a sulfur bleaching process, the production enterprise shall control the sulfur dioxide residue in accordance with the standard provisions and establish monitoring records.

Next, the State Administration for Market Regulation will accelerate the implementation of the Rules, continue to strengthen access in the sugar production link, guide enterprises to be honest and self-disciplined and operate in a standardized manner, and promote the high-quality development of the sugar industry.

Related reports:

Notice of the State Administration for Market Regulation on Publicly Soliciting Opinions on the Detailed Rules for the Review of Sugar Production Licenses (Draft for Comments)

1. The State Administration for Market Regulation publicly solicited opinions on the key points of on-site verification for the registration of infant formula milk powder and food for special medical purposes

In order to further implement the "four strictest" requirements for food safety and standardize on-site verification work for registration, recently the State Administration for Market Regulation organized the revision of the Key Points and Judgment Principles for On-Site Verification of Infant Formula Milk Powder Product Recipe Registration (Trial) and the Key Points and Judgment Principles for On-Site Verification of Production Enterprises of Food for Special Medical Purposes Registration (Trial), and from September 14 to October 14 publicly solicited opinions from society.

The newly revised Key Points and Judgment Principles for On-Site Verification of Infant Formula Milk Powder Product Recipe Registration (Trial) and the Key Points and Judgment Principles for On-Site Verification of Production Enterprises of Food for Special Medical Purposes Registration (Trial) set up verification items and refine judgment standards around four aspects: applicant qualifications, research and development capability, production capability and inspection capability, with three prominent features: first, the requirements are "newer", consistent with the latest national food safety laws, regulations and standards, and more emphasis is placed on verifying the compliance of the professionalism, educational background and work experience of research and development, production and inspection personnel; second, the items are "better", closely combining product characteristics, optimizing the content of production capability verification, and placing more emphasis on verifying the consistency between the actual on-site situation of the enterprise and the registration application materials; third, the content is "more detailed", improving the verification requirements of the inspection system and placing more emphasis on verifying entrusted testing, etc.

Related reports:

Notice of the State Administration for Market Regulation on Publicly Soliciting Opinions on the Key Points and Judgment Principles of On-Site Verification for the Registration of Infant Formula Milk Powder and Food for Special Medical Purposes

1. The State Administration for Market Regulation released 13 rapid food testing methods

Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation released 13 rapid food testing methods.

The 13 rapid testing methods released this time can rapidly screen a total of 18 risk substances, including pesticide residues such as triazophos, chlorothalonil and thiamethoxam in vegetables and fruits; hormone and anti-inflammatory drug residues such as dexamethasone, analgin and flunixin in livestock and poultry meat and dairy products; and antibiotic residues such as chloramphenicol and streptomycin in honey and aquatic products. Compared with laboratory testing, the rapid testing methods are simple to operate and time-saving, and can be used for on-site rapid testing in farmers' wholesale markets, supermarkets and catering units, achieving early detection and early warning of food safety risks.

Next, market regulation departments will promote the comprehensive application of relevant rapid testing technologies, continuously improve the effectiveness of screening hidden food safety risks, and make every effort to safeguard the dietary safety of the people.

Related reports:

Announcement of the State Administration for Market Regulation on the Release of 13 Rapid Food Testing Methods including the Rapid Detection of Triazophos in Vegetables and Fruits Colloidal Gold Immunochromatography Method

1. The first batch of domestically produced oncology full nutrition FSMP products were approved for registration

Recently, two specific full nutrition FSMP products suitable for tumor patients over 10 years old were approved for registration, filling the domestic gap in this category of products and providing more and richer choices for clinical nutritional support for tumor patients.

Tumor patients are one of the populations with a high incidence of malnutrition. Research data show that there are about 5 million new tumor patients in my country each year, and the incidence of malnutrition among patients with malignant tumors is as high as 40% to 80%. The tumor itself can cause hypercatabolism and chronic systemic inflammatory response, and combined with nausea, vomiting and eating disorders caused by anti-tumor treatment, it is easy to lead to malnutrition in tumor patients and affect treatment effects. Clinical nutritional support has become an indispensable and important part of comprehensive tumor treatment.

The oncology full nutrition FSMP products approved for registration this time focus on the physiological characteristics of high consumption and persistent chronic inflammation in tumor patients, comprehensively provide various essential nutrients such as high-quality protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and can effectively meet the clinical nutritional needs of tumor patients. Using such products under the guidance of a doctor or clinical nutritionist can help tumor patients increase nutritional intake, delay weight loss, and improve the quality of life of tumor patients.

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