Recently, a Russian imported biscuit in mainland China was exposed for having a “yin-yang ingredient list.” The original Russian ingredient list included various additives, but the Chinese label covering it did not fully disclose the information, resulting in inconsistency between the two lists. A lawyer stated that failure to truthfully reflect the real ingredients of food may constitute a violation of the law.
According to a report by the Urban Daily, a resident of Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, Mr. Zhao, recently purchased a biscuit with Russian markings. Mr. Zhao mentioned that he usually pays close attention to food ingredients and avoids consuming foods with additives, but the taste of this particular biscuit was “too good,” leading him to question the accuracy of the ingredient list.
Mr. Zhao noted that although the biscuit was advertised as being imported from Russia, the taste differed from other Russian imported biscuits he had previously consumed. Upon inspecting the packaging, he found that the Chinese label was placed on top of the original Russian markings. Subsequently, he peeled off the Chinese label and used translation software to examine the Russian ingredient list, which revealed the presence of emulsifiers and various additives not listed on the Chinese label.
Subsequent to Mr. Zhao’s discovery, journalists in mainland China also purchased the same biscuit and found that the Chinese label of the product was directly pasted over the Russian markings. While the Chinese ingredient list appeared relatively “clean,” the original Russian list included emulsifiers and various additives.
Regarding the situation where some Russian ingredients did not appear on the Chinese label, the company responsible for importing the biscuits stated that “some ingredients are not translated if they do not meet the quantity criteria.” They also mentioned that some Chinese labels had not been reviewed, stating that “Chinese labels need to be integrated and generally are not subject to review.”
Public information indicates that, according to mainland China’s food labeling regulations, the content of foreign language ingredient lists on imported prepackaged foods must correspond to the Chinese ingredient list.
A lawyer pointed out that if there are inconsistencies between Chinese and foreign labels in terms of product name, ingredient list, nutrition label, importer information, etc., and fail to truthfully reflect the real ingredients of the food, it may be considered illegal.
This incident has sparked discussions online. Some netizens questioned, “If you can’t translate the ingredient list, just don’t translate it? Some are reviewed while others are not, is it all based on mood?” Others believe that imported biscuits, which undergo long-term storage and long-distance transportation, having too “clean” ingredient lists raise suspicions. Another netizen cautioned, “This story tells us that we must learn to read food ingredient lists and pay attention to what we consume.”
According to a commentary article published by mainland media “Red Net,” ordinary consumers find it challenging to cross-reference foreign ingredient lists before buying a packet of biscuits. Food labels should provide consumers with clear ingredient information, rather than requiring consumers to manually “fill in the gaps.”