Summary of news:
On 8 September, the National Health Commission of my country and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued the " Announcement on issues relating to the implementation of digital labelling of pre-packaged foods, " officially ushering in a new era of digitization for pre-packaged food labeling in my country. Digital labels represent the information displayed on the physical labels of pre-packaged foods using digital technology or media, making the information on the food label audible, reproducible and expandable. This announcement is based on the " The National Food Safety Standard - General Rules for the Labelling of Prepackaged Food (GB 7718-2025), released in March this year, further refines the application requirements for digital labels. Its aim is to meet the challenges of " Loser, unclear and incomprehensible.” label information, while providing companies with a more flexible and low-cost method of displaying information.
News content:
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 8. Title: " Codes " For information! my country promotes digital labelling to facilitate food safety monitoring
Scanning a QR code reveals food ingredients, production processes, traceability of origin, nutritional information and much more at a glance. You may even " listening" on the label and " see videos" This is about to become a daily routine for the consumption of pre-packaged foods in my country. On 8 September, the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued the " Announcement on issues relating to the implementation of digital labelling of pre-packaged foods, " officially ushering in a new era of digitalisation for the management of pre-packaged food labelling in my country.
Digital labels represent information displayed on physical pre-packaged food labels using digital technology or means, making food label information audible, playable, and magnifiable. This announcement builds on the "National Food Safety Standard - General Rules for Pre-packaged Food Labeling" (GB 7718-2025), released in March of this year, and further refines the requirements for digital labeling. It aims to address the issues of "inaccessible, unclear, and incomprehensible" label information, while also providing businesses with a more flexible and low-cost information display method.
Labels bring information to life – For a long time, the limited physical space of labels has prevented pre-packaged foods from displaying detailed information, making it difficult for consumers to access complete food information.
According to the announcement, information that can be included on pre-packaged food labels, such as ingredient sources, production processes, origin information, directions of consumption, product traceability, food safety and nutritional information, can now be displayed digitally. Food producers and operators must be responsible for the authenticity and accuracy of the content displayed, ensuring that the relevant information is objective and scientific and does not mislead consumers.
A representative of the Department of Food of the National Health Commission stated that this would facilitate a better understanding by consumers of food and further leverage the role of digital labels in supporting comprehensive food safety monitoring, communication on food safety and nutritional and health risks, and visualization of food information.
Traceable Content, Basis for Supervision -
Although digital tags are convenient, the authenticity and accuracy of their content cannot be overlooked. The announcement clarifies that the content of digital labels must comply with Article 67 of the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and the mandatory labeling requirements for pre-packaged food labels in national food safety standards.
In addition, the content of the digital label should not be tampered with. When modifying or updating the content of the digital label, the modified content, the time of modification and information about the modifier must be recorded to ensure the traceability of the modification process. To ensure a positive consumer experience, the ad sets out strict guidelines: digital labels must be clear, eye-catching and easy to read. They should avoid overlap or clutter, and should not contain pop-up windows or other distracting elements that affect normal reading. It is recommended that the QR code of the digital label be integrated with other QR codes on the packaging to achieve a unified multi-code system.
In addition, the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center, in collaboration with the China National Center for Article Coding, will design a unique logo for digital labels for food producers to use, making it easier for consumers to identify the digital label's QR code.
Simplify labels, improve environmental protection and efficiency
Notably, the announcement also introduces a "burden reduction" measure: Food producers displaying the detailed address of their pre-packaged food on digital labels may simplify the address to the county-level administrative district name and indicate it after the producer's name. For example, if the production address displayed on a pre-packaged food digital label is "XX Avenue, XX Town, XX County, XX City, XX Province," the label may instead indicate "XXX Producer (XX County)." Small changes are expected to provide more information on food labels, reduce the amount of text on pre-packaged food labels, save costs, and help companies reduce carbon emissions and increase efficiency.
The National Health Commission has designated 2025 as " Year of Digital Food Label Promotion and is organizing provinces and cities nationwide, as well as relevant food industries, to promote the application of digital labels. Digital labels will also integrate with online food sales and smart homes, continuously innovating application scenarios and building an ecosystem of digital food labels.
1. What is a digital label?
A digital label is a digital carrier for food information displayed on food packaging using digital means such as QR codes. It has the same legal effect as a physical label. It transcends the physical limitations of traditional labels, enabling key information such as ingredient lists and production dates to be zoomable, voice-activated, and explained through video. II. Three Core Advantages of Digital Labels
1. Consumer Perspective
Solve the pain points of poor visibility and incomprehensibility: Supports font enlargement and voice announcements (especially beneficial for the elderly).
Expanded Information Display: Access details such as raw material traceability, production processes, and detailed consumption recommendations that cannot be accommodated on physical labels.
2. Enterprise Value
Reduces printing costs and supports dynamic information updates (such as automatic alerts for near-expiry food).
Multi-code integration enables multiple functions, including food information display, food traceability, and payment, improving enterprise management efficiency.
3. Regulatory Innovation
Fully traceable modification records prevent information tampering. Special foods (such as infant formula) must strictly match registered information.
III. Development Trends of Digital Labels
As of September 2025, companies such as Mengniu, Luhua, PepsiCo, Feihe, Sanyuan, Master Kong, Starbucks, Shuanghui, and Bright Dairy have actively responded to this trend, with digital labels already applied to over a thousand food products across major food categories, including dairy, grains and oils, baked goods, meat products, and beverages. As multi-code integration technology matures, digital labels will become the intelligent portal for food packaging.
Bisheng Packaging keeps up with the development trend and supports OEM and ODM diversified customized services. We look forward to communicating and cooperating with you.
