2. Product Categories

General Foods
China

This section provides the regulatory definition of the food category in scope, or the appropriate food category for the product in scope. Additionally, it provides the food products that belong to this food category along with the definition and specific information on each of these types of food products.

2.1 Category Name & Definition

Category Name

Food

Definition

"Food" means all finished products and raw materials for human consumption or drinking, as well as articles that are traditionally medicine and food homologous substances, but do not include articles for the purpose of healing.

According to the “Food Safety Law of P.R.C” [1], food is divided into General Food and Special Food. There are 32 categories, including 29 categories for General Food and 3 categories for Special Food. Except for the 3 special foods - Infant and Young Children Formula, Special Food for Medical Purpose Use, and Health Food (with functional claim or nutrition supplements) - other foods are General Food (e.g. Alcoholic Beverages). 

2.2 Product & Definition

Please refer to Section 2.2 of product-specific guidebooks for product-specific definitions.

2.3 References

1. Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China 

https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/fgs/art/2023/art_6bff4ef87291497fa72949e1fc88efb5.html