With effect from 1 May 2025, a new ruling introduced by the China National Food Industry Association (FIA) and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIT), requires food colorings to be made from natural sources like vegetables, fruits, plants, or algae. It also requires that colorings be produced via physical methods thereby excluding synthetics and artificial colors.
With the new law, food colorings can be classified as ingredients and not additives, enabling more transparent labelling. For example, color derived from beetroot can be labelled as ‘beetroot color ingredient’. This clear definition will prevent brands from making unverified ‘natural’ or ‘plant-based’ claims, while at the same time provide better clarity to the industry as well as for end-consumers.
Manufacturers, both local and international, that use food coloring in their products and are targeting China market will need to reformulate their products with natural colorings in order to meet the new regulatory requirements.
Brands that fail to adapt may face compliance issues, and could face penalties ranging from Rmb 2,000-50,000 (US$278.60 to US$6,966) or lose their license for more serious offenses.
Growing health and safety concerns and rising demand for clean label products in China has led to a major restructuring of existing laws in China relating to the food and beverage industry – particularly those related to functional and nutritional food and beverages. The industry demands transparency – benefiting manufacturers, consumers as well as the government (health issues/costs) in the long term.
