Reply | Inquiry on Production Date Labeling for Multi-layer Packaging under the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Food Labeling
- For pre-packaged food in multi-layer packaging, the production date shall be the completion date of the inner packaging process that comes into direct contact with the food.
- Under Article 15 of the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Food Labeling, where the smallest sales unit contains multiple independent packages, the shelf-life expiry date shall be marked no later than the expiry date of the earliest-expiring food, or each food's shelf-life expiry date shall be marked individually.
- The inquiry asks whether, when the inner packaging contains multiple products of different varieties, production dates, and shelf lives and the outer packaging is marked with only one production date, the earliest production date or the packaging date should be indicated.
- The inquiry asks whether, when all shelf lives exceed 6 months and the outer packaging does not indicate a production date but only the shelf life and shelf-life expiry date, the shortest shelf life should be indicated or the different shelf lives should be indicated separately.
- The government affairs consultation reply is a reference opinion only and has no statutory effect such as legal interpretation; it shall not be used as the basis for administrative law enforcement, administrative reconsideration, or administrative litigation; the contact telephone is 0971-6161713.
Inquiry Content
For pre-packaged food in multi-layer packaging, the production date shall be the date on which the packaging process that comes into direct contact with the food (i.e., the inner packaging) is completed. If the inner packaging contains multiple products of different varieties, different production dates, and different shelf lives, and only one production date is marked on the outer packaging, should the earliest production date or the packaging date be indicated? If all shelf lives are more than 6 months, and the outer packaging does not indicate a production date but only indicates the shelf life and the shelf-life expiry date, should the shelf life be indicated as the shortest shelf life or should the different shelf lives be indicated separately?
Reply Content
Dear netizen: Hello! Your message has been received. We hereby reply to your message as follows: According to Article 15 of the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Food Labeling, where the smallest sales unit has multiple independent packages, the shelf-life expiry date shall be marked no later than the shelf-life expiry date of the food that expires earliest, or the shelf-life expiry dates shall be marked one by one. The content of this government affairs consultation reply is only a reference opinion and suggestion for the public to understand the work of the market supervision department and to solve related problems; it does not have statutory effect such as legal interpretation, and shall not be used as the basis for administrative law enforcement, administrative reconsideration, or administrative litigation. If you have any questions, please consult the Food Production Division of our bureau. Contact telephone: 0971-6161713.
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