China Flavouring Regulations: GB 2760, GB 29924 and GB 7718

Which standards govern flavourings in China

GB 2760-2024 was published by the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation in Announcement 2024 No. 1, signed on 8 February 2024, and has applied since 8 February 2025, when it replaced GB 2760-2014. Clause B.1.1 of its Appendix B says flavourings are used to give, change or improve the flavour of food, and that they exclude substances giving only a sweet, sour or salty taste and exclude flavour enhancers. Clauses B.1.6 and B.1.7 send the label of a flavouring to GB 29924 and the label of a prepackaged food containing flavouring to GB 7718.

Which flavouring substances may be used, and in which foods

Clause B.1.2 prohibits adding flavourings to foods listed in Table B.1 unless a law, regulation or national food safety standard expressly provides otherwise; for other foods, whether flavouring may be added must follow the relevant food product standard. Clause B.1.3 requires the flavouring substances used in flavouring preparations to conform to GB 2760, and clause B.2.1 divides flavouring substances into natural and synthetic.

This page does not reproduce Table B.1 or the lists of permitted natural and synthetic flavouring substances in Tables B.2 and B.3; check them in the standard.

How a flavouring preparation supplied to a food manufacturer is labelled

Chapter 4 of GB 29924-2013 sets labelling and accompanying-instruction requirements for food additives supplied to producers and traders; under 4.12.1, the ingredient information required by 4.2 may appear on the label or in the instructions. The label must clearly and prominently show 食品添加剂 (4.1.1). A flavouring preparation must use a name and model appropriate to its aroma, flavour and production process, without causing misunderstanding or confusion, and must clearly show 食品用香精 (4.1.5). In a flavouring preparation's ingredient list, flavouring substances must be declared as 食品用香料, and their individual names need not be stated (4.2.2.1). Auxiliary ingredients added during manufacture or processing are declared as 食品用香精辅料 (4.2.2.2). Added sweeteners, colours, caffeine and other such food additives must use the specific names prescribed by GB 2760, the applicable additive product specifications and competent-authority approvals (4.2.2.3).

Imported flavourings: label particulars and overseas registration

Under GB 29924-2013 4.7.3, the label of an imported food additive must show the country or region of origin and the name, address and contact details of the agent, importer or distributor legally registered in China, and may omit the producer's. The product standard code required by 4.8 applies to food additives produced and sold in China, not to imported ones. GACC Decree No. 280, published on 14 October 2025 and effective from 1 June 2026, repealed Decree No. 248 and, under Article 2, excludes enterprises producing, processing or storing food additives from its registration of overseas manufacturers of imported food.

State Council Gazette text of GACC Decree No. 280

How flavouring is declared on a food label

GB 7718-2025 was published on 16 March 2025 and applies from 16 March 2027; this section quotes the 2025 edition. Table A.1 lets flavourings be declared under a class name such as 食用香精 or 食用香料, and Appendix B.5.1 lets them be listed outside a grouped food additive entry in the ingredient list. Under 4.3.4.1, an additive contained in a compound ingredient may be omitted where that ingredient has a national, industry or local standard, its addition is less than 25% of the food's total quantity, and the additive qualifies for carry-over through food ingredients under GB 2760; the National Health Commission's questions and answers add that such an additive must still be declared if it performs a function in the final product. Auxiliary ingredients of food additives may be omitted if they perform no function in the final product, and different provisions in national food safety standards prevail.

The National Health Commission's catalogue records GB 7718-2011 as being replaced on 16 March 2027; this page quotes the 2025 edition.

Fruit pictures and flavour names on a food label

Under GB 7718-2025 4.4.1.2, pictures illustrating taste, flavour, ingredient source, eating method or intended use do not constitute special emphasis. Where flavourings alone create the flavour of an ingredient or food, the label may use only images other than real photographs of that ingredient or food, and must show words such as 图案仅供口味参考 ("image for taste reference only") prominently next to the image. The National Health Commission's questions and answers of 25 September 2025 add that an AI-generated image that cannot be told apart from a real photograph is treated as a real photograph. They also give 草莓口味冰淇淋 (strawberry-flavour ice cream) as an example where an ingredient name describing a sensory characteristic does not itself trigger quantitative declaration of that ingredient.

The questions and answers are quoted from the copy reproduced by the Quanzhou market regulator.