China announces new standards for fresh produce packaging

This week, China celebrates its Mid-Autumn Festival, traditionally celebrated with gifts of beautifully wrapped fruit. But in the future, retailers may have to reconsider whether they want to market their fruit this way, as the country has launched a new set of measures to combat the excessive use of packaging materials. Right: Does this packaging comply with the new packaging regulations next year? The State Market Regulation Agency has issued the National Standard Regulation No. 10 of 2023. The standard is officially called "Limitation of excessive packaging of fresh edible agricultural products". The standard was drawn up by the Ministry of Agriculture and will be implemented from April 1, 2024. The main technical indicators include three aspects. To start with, the upper limit for empty packaging space is 10%-25%. Secondly, vegetables, including edible mushrooms, may be packed in a maximum of three and fruit in a maximum of four layers of packaging. Third, packaging costs ...