1. Compliance Procedures of Health Food Access to the Chinese Market
Among above 3 steps, “health food registration or filing” is the most important step. It is a prerequisite for imported health food to enter the Chinese market, and takes a certain amount of time and cost to get the final registration or filing approval. Overseas companies who are interested in China market need to have an overall understanding of health food registration and filing requirements in China before starting relevant projects.
2. Imported Health Food Registration or Filing
In accordance with Food Safety Law of China (2015 version), companies who plan to place health food in Chinese market shall apply and obtain the health food registration certificate or filing certificate.
2.1 Imported Health Food Registration
- Registration background
Application scope | All imported health food (excluding nutrition supplement that only provides vitamin and/or mineral) |
Applicant qualification | Oversea manufacturers (refer to the legal person and other organization) |
Authority | SAMR (former CFDA) |
- Estimated registration timeline
Registration procedures | Estimated duration |
Feasibility analysis | 7 workdays |
Original documents and test sample preparation | Depends on the applicant |
Registration tests | 8-16 months |
Dossier preparation and submission | About 3 months |
Registration application acceptance | 5 workdays |
Transfer materials to Health Food Review Center | 3 workdays |
Technical evaluation | 60 workdays |
Re-test and on-site verification if necessary | Case by case for imported products |
Submit supplement dossier if necessary | Within 3 months |
Report to SAMR | 5 workdays |
SAMR make approval decision, issue registration certificate | 33 workdays |
Total | 2-3 years |
- Estimated registration budget
There are two parts of budget: test fee and consulting fee.
Items | Estimated budget | Budget arrangement |
Test fee, which include: Self-tests; Functional components or characteristic ingredients tests, hygiene test and stability test; Methodological validation on functional components or characteristic ingredients test methods; Toxicology test; Animals function and (or) human feeding trials. | See the Guideline | See the Guideline |
Consulting fee |
2.2 Imported Health Food Filing
- Filing background
Application scope | The imported nutrition supplements of which the vitamins and (or) minerals meet the requirements in the Health Food Raw Materials Directory. |
Applicant qualification | Oversea manufacturers (refer to the legal person and other organization) |
Authority | SAMR (former CFDA) |
- Estimated filing timeline
Filing procedures | Estimated duration |
Filing feasibility analysis | 3 workdays |
Original documents and test sample preparation | Depends on the applicant |
Filing tests | About 4 months |
Dossier preparation and submission | About 1 months |
Submit supplement dossiers if necessary | Case by case (usually within 1 month) |
Get filing approval | Case by case (usually within 1 week) |
Total | About 6 months |
- Estimated filing budget
There are two parts of budget: test fee and consulting fee.
Items | Estimated budget | Budget arrangement |
Test fee, which include: 3 batches of functional components or characteristic ingredients tests, hygiene tests, and stability test; 3 batches of tests including all items listed in product technical requirements; | See the Guideline | See the Guideline |
Consulting fee |
Section
4 of
1. Compliance Procedures of Health Food Access to the Chinese Market
2. Imported Health Food Registration or Filing
- 2.1 Imported Health Food Registration (including registration process, dossier requirement, test requirement, timeline, budget, etc.)
- 2.2 Imported Health Food Filing (including filing process, dossier requirement, test requirement, timeline, budget, etc.)
The summary of each section in the Guideline is introduced by a series of articles which are available as following. If it is of your interest, please kindly click to get information as following.
Section 1: Information to Know before Health Food Exportation to China
Section 2: How Many Health Food are Registered in China?
Section 3: Chinese Health Food Regulation in Present and Future
Section 4: Timeline and Budget for Health Food Access to Chinese Market
Section 5: How does Chinese Government Supervise the Health Food?
In addition, if you would like to get the
Editor:
CIRS Food Technical Team: Established in 2012, CIRS Food Technical Team has more than 80% masters with degrees of Food Safety or Food Engineering and more than 50% members from oversea renowned universities. Since it was founded, based on the rich experience of regulatory compliance and deep understanding of Chinese food regulations and industry, food specialists have made comprehensive and reasonable solutions for many oversea food companies to complete Chinese food regulatory compliance progress.
If you have any other questions, please contact us at service@jianzaoshiwang.cn.
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