China is set to introduce new food packaging regulations from 1 January 2013, as a part of its effort to lower the risk of chronic non-communicable disease and help consumers make informed food choices and diseases.
Under the new regulations, food packaging labels should feature standard nutritional information, conveying a product's nutritional structure and ingredients.
The packages should feature the content of four kinds of nutritional elements - protein, fat, carbohydrate and sodium, reported Xinhua.com.
China's Ministry of Health senior supervision official Su Zhi said the regulations, first drafted in 2007, are based on recommendations of international food societies as well as the ministry.
"China faces a severe situation of chronic non-communicable diseases, and information on the packages will help consumers avoid the intake of unhealthy elements, such as saturated fat and cholesterol, and increase the ingestion of dietary fibers," Zhi added.
China is providing the transitional period to help the food industry comply with the new regulations before they go into effect on 1 January 2013.