Comparative analysis of Chinese and Russian prepackaged food labeling regulations, standards, and labeling contents

ObjectiveTo study the similarities and differences between Chinese and Russian prepackaged food labelling standards， in order to promote high-quality development in bilateral trade of prepackaged food imports and exports， and providing reference for further amendment of China’s imported prepackaged food labelling standards.MethodsCurrent prepackaged food labelling standards from both China and Russia were collected and analyzed. The similarities and differences of annotation requirements and the compatibility of annotation standards between the two countries were compared. A comprehensive comparative analysis was performed to evaluate the differences between the standards.ResultsThe prepackaged food labelling standards of China and Russia differed in terms of the establishment of labelling indicators and limit requirements， with each country having its own logic in building its standard system. Overall， while there were considerable similarities in terms of product authenticity， date， and production information labelling between the two countries， there were significant differences in areas such as ingredient labelling， the use and labelling of food additives， and nutrient content labelling， which are prone to causing food safety issues. Both countries have their own standard systems， but the overall differences are not significant.ConclusionDifferences in China-Russia prepackaged food labelling standards are one of the factors influencing the risks associated with cross-border trade in prepackaged food products. Therefore， import-export enterprises and regulatory authorities should prioritize addressing labelling discrepancies， strengthen risk awareness， strictly prevent food safety issues， and further improve domestic prepackaged food labelling standard system.