Food is the most important thing for the people. Fake and substandard food not only causes economic losses to consumers, but also threatens their health and personal safety. In mild cases, the disease can be introduced through the mouth, causing illness and poisoning, and in severe cases, it can cause disability, death, or even be passed down to future generations. Since the reform and opening up, China's food industry and food market have developed rapidly. At present, the annual output value of the food industry has exceeded 300 billion yuan, and it has become one of the important pillar industries of the national economy. However, food quality problems have become increasingly prominent, so the food market has Supervision and inspection must be strengthened and we must not take it lightly.

In order to ensure the health of the people and the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, the state formulates laws and regulations to monitor the entire process of food production, storage, transportation, circulation, and consumption. These laws, regulations and technical standards are the basis for food identification and identification, including: "Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" (including the Ministry of Commerce's Trial Measures for Grain and Oil Quality Management and the Ministry of Health's New Food Resources Hygiene Management Measures), The national standard GB7718 "General Standard for Food Labeling", national standards for various types of food and the regulations on food shelf life of the former Ministry of Light Industry. When grasping the basis for food identification, we must first strictly control food hygiene standards to prevent diseases from being introduced through the mouth. At the same time, we must adhere to food quality standards, fight against illegal adulteration, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of consumers.

1. Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China

On June 1, 2009, the "Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" was promulgated and came into effect. According to the provisions of Article 28 of the "Food Safety Law", the production and operation of the following foods are prohibited:

Article 28: The production and operation of the following foods are prohibited:

(1) Use of non- Food produced from food raw materials or food with the addition of chemical substances other than food additives and other substances that may harm human health, or food produced with recycled food as raw material;

(2) Pathogenic microorganisms and pesticide residues , veterinary drug residues, heavy metals, pollutants and other substances harmful to human health that exceed food safety standards;

(3) Foods whose nutritional content does not meet food safety standards and are intended for infants and other specific groups of people Main and supplementary foods;

(4) Foods that are spoiled, rancid, moldy, insect-infested, dirty, mixed with foreign matter, adulterated or have abnormal sensory properties;

(5) Meat and products of poultry, livestock, beasts, and aquatic animals that died of illness, poisoning, or whose cause of death is unknown;

(6) Meat that has not been quarantined by the animal health supervision agency or has failed to pass the quarantine categories, or meat products that have not been inspected or failed to pass the inspection;

(7) Food contaminated by packaging materials, containers, transportation vehicles, etc.;

(8) The shelf life has exceeded Foods;

(9) Prepackaged foods without labels;

(10) Foods whose production and operation are prohibited by the state for special needs such as disease prevention;

(11) Other foods that do not meet food safety standards or requirements.

When identifying fake and shoddy food, the identification must first be carried out according to the above regulations.

II. Food label implementation requirements

All pre-packaged foods produced or sold within the territory of the People’s Republic of China (pre-packaged in containers for delivery to consumers) The labels of food (i.e. packaged food for sale) must comply with the provisions of the mandatory national standards "General Standard for Food Labeling" (GB7718), "Standard for Labeling of Beverages and Wines" (GB10344), and "Labeling of Special Nutritional Foods" (GB13432). Food labels must not Prepackaged foods that comply with the above regulations are not allowed to leave the factory and be sold.

The function of food labels is to convey information about food characteristics and performance to consumers, which can guide and guide consumers to purchase food and promote sales.

Because the quality and safety of food are shown on the label, the interests and health of consumers are protected; because the production date, shelf life or storage period is marked on the label, when the above period is exceeded or the consumer or dealer fails to store according to the instructions on the label If an accident occurs to the food, the food manufacturer will not bear any responsibility if it is stored under these conditions. This also protects the legitimate rights and interests of the food manufacturer.

GB7718-1994 "General Standard for Food Labeling" divides the content of food labeling into three levels:

——Must be marked: food name, ingredient list, net content and Solid content, name and address of manufacturer and distributor, production date, shelf life or/and storage period, storage instructions, quality (quality) grade, product standard number, special labeling content (irradiated food).

——It is allowed to exempt the labeling content: when the maximum surface area of ??the packaging container is less than 10cm?2, except for spices and food additives, the ingredient list, production date, shelf life or/and shelf life, quality (quality) can be exempted ) grade, product standard number; food with a shelf life or a shelf life of more than 18 months has been clearly specified in product standards (national standards, industry standards), can be exempted from labeling the shelf life or shelf life; imported foods can be exempted from labeling the name of the original manufacturer, Address and product standard number.

——Recommended labeling content: batch number, consumption method, calories and nutrients.

GB13432-1992 "Special Nutritional Food Labeling" stipulates that the labels of infant packaged foods, nutritionally fortified foods and other special nutritional foods (such as low-sugar, low-sodium, low-gluten foods and other foods with adjusted nutrients), except for necessary In addition to labeling the food name, ingredient list, net content, producer's name and address, production date, shelf life, shelf life, and consumption method, the product must also be marked with 100g or 100ml and the recommended amount of food for each serving within the shelf life. Guaranteed caloric value and nutrient content. Nutrients include five categories: protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.

GB10344-1989 "Beverage Wine Labeling Standard" stipulates that beverage wine labels must indicate the name of the wine, ingredient list, alcohol content of original juice, net content, name and address of the manufacturer and distributor, and production date , shelf life, product standard number and quality grade, product type (or sugar content), etc.

The following is a further explanation of several issues.

1 Ingredients list. Refers to the raw materials, auxiliary materials and food additives used in the manufacture or preparation of food. The names of the above-mentioned substances should be listed on food labels in order from most to least added. Starting from January 1, 2000, the labels of all prepackaged foods sold in China must indicate the specific names of additives allowed in the national standard GB 2760 for sweeteners, preservatives, and colorants in the ingredient list. Such as saccharin sodium, benzoic acid, caramel color.

2 Shelf life (best before consumption). Refers to the period during which food quality (quality) is maintained under the conditions specified on the label. During this period, the food is fully fit for sale and meets the quality (quality) specified on the label or in the product standard. After this period, the food is still edible for a certain period of time.

3 Shelf life (recommended final consumption period). It refers to the final date on which food can be eaten under the conditions specified on the label. After this period, the quality (quality) of the product may change, so the food is no longer suitable for sale.

For food that has exceeded the shelf life but is still within the shelf life, sales should be stopped and sent to statutory quality inspection agencies for inspection. If the inherent quality of the food is qualified, it should be clearly stated on the market and the price should be reduced. Anyone who fails to expressly sell the food, or whose inherent quality is unqualified, or who refuses to provide an inspection report issued by a statutory quality inspection agency, will be subject to administrative penalties in accordance with the "Regulations on Investigating and Punishing Illegal Food Labeling Acts".

4 Solid matter. The solid portion of food, excluding soluble solids, can be expressed by mass or percentage.

5 Name and address of manufacturer and distributor. The legally registered name and address of any unit that manufactures, packages, repackages or sells food must be indicated.

Imported food must indicate the country and region of origin (referring to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) and the name and address of the general distributor registered in accordance with domestic law.

6 The production date, shelf life or/and storage period of the food. If the shelf life or shelf life of a food is related to storage conditions, the storage method of the food must be indicated.

7 The text used on food labels must be standardized Chinese characters.

8 Foods that have been treated with ionizing radiation or ionizing energy must be labeled "irradiated food" near the name of the food. Any ingredients that have been treated with ionizing radiation or ionizing energy must be stated in the ingredient list.

Compared with traditional disinfection and sterilization methods, irradiation has the characteristics of not heating up food, sterilizing completely, not being restricted by food packaging and form, not damaging the appearance quality and intrinsic characteristics of items, leaving no residue, and being safe. It is reliable, easy to operate and does not pollute the environment. In recent years, irradiated food has gradually entered the homes of ordinary people. Dehydrated vegetables, instant noodle seasonings, vacuum-packaged cooked meats, health drinks and many local products have been irradiated. For irradiated food, in addition to being marked on the food label, the irradiated food for sale also needs to be labeled with an irradiated food label. The label is round, green on a white background, and has the Chinese word "irradiated food" above the pattern. The English subtitle "IRRADIATED FOOD" is marked below.

The so-called "irradiated food" uses radioactive cobalt's gamma rays, X-rays or high-energy electron beams to penetrate the food body to ionize the water and various nutrients in it. It inhibits the germination and rooting of sparse vegetables, disinfects, kills insects, sterilizes, and prevents mildew, which is beneficial to the long-term preservation of food. For example, irradiated meat products can kill all pathogenic microorganisms and can be stored for up to one year. After irradiation treatment, fruits and vegetables can avoid germination and deterioration, and extend the freshness and storage period.

The four basic principles that food production companies must abide by when designing and producing food labels are:

1 All content on food labels must not be used in wrong, misleading or misleading ways. Deceptively describe or introduce food.

The design and production of food labels must be realistic, truly use the name of the food, and truly indicate the food ingredients, net content, production date, shelf life or/and storage period, quality grade, and name of the manufacturer or distributor and address, nutritional ingredients, and truly introduce the characteristics of the food to protect the rights and interests of consumers.

2 All contents on food labels shall not directly or indirectly cause consumers to confuse food or a certain property of food with another product through language, graphics, and symbols.

3 All contents of food labels must comply with national laws and regulations, and comply with the provisions of corresponding product standards. Two points should be particularly emphasized here: First, it is prohibited to forge or impersonate quality marks such as certification marks and famous quality marks. It is prohibited to forge the origin of products, forge or impersonate other people’s factory names and addresses. Second, food that has been approved for production and operation is prohibited from promoting curative or health-care effects. The following contents are prohibited on packaging labels, instructions or advertisements:

(1) "Therapeutic food", "Health food", "Strong food", "Supplement", "Nutritional food" or other similar contents Words.

(2) The terminology of various treatment principles of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment.

(3) Add the name of a traditional Chinese medicine to the name of the food, or use the image or name of the traditional Chinese medicine to imply its curative effect and health care effects.

4 All contents of food labels must be easy to understand, accurate and scientific. It is forbidden to use such flattering and untrue words as "replenishing essence and replenishing marrow", "regenerating teeth", "beautifying and rejuvenating" and "rejuvenating" which have no scientific basis.

For different types of food, food labeling methods can be different.

The production date may not be marked on the packaging paper of the popsicles (cakes), but the production date must be marked on the outer packaging box.

The food label of glass bottled soda without paper label should at least indicate the following: beverage name, ingredient list, net content, factory name and address, production date and shelf life. Water and carbon dioxide in the ingredient list can be It is not labeled for the time being, but other raw materials and auxiliary materials, including food additives, should be labeled in order according to the amount added. The production date can be marked by temporarily adding a label to the turnover box. Food name and net content should be within the same field of view.

In addition to the total content, any food containing both liquid and solid food packaging containers (such as canned fruits with sugar water) should also indicate the solid weight or percentage.

Foods with a storage (quality) period of more than 3 months should be marked with the year, month, and day, and must have the words "production date" and "storage date".

The production date of white wine bottled in colorless transparent glass can be marked on the back of the label.

The production date of bottled beer can be punched or crossed on the label, but it must have an age mark.

3. National food hygiene standards and quality standards

National standards include food hygiene standards and food quality standards. After years of efforts, my country's food industry standardization system has become more and more complete. By 1995, there were 963 national food standards and 1,000 industry standards.

As finished products and raw materials for human consumption or drinking, food should be non-toxic and harmless, meet its nutritional requirements, and have corresponding sensory properties such as color, aroma, and taste. However, during food production, processing, packaging, transportation and storage, due to the influence of various conditions and factors, food may be contaminated and endanger human health. The standards formulated to ensure food hygiene are collectively called food hygiene standards. Food hygiene standards mainly set qualitative or quantitative limits on the degree of bacterial contamination of directly imported food, which is usually called hygiene inspection. The implementation scope and items of sanitary inspection are briefly introduced in the first section of Chapter 1 of this book about microbial inspection.

National food hygiene standards generally include sensory indicators, physical and chemical indicators and microbiological indicators. They are divided into dozens of majors according to the food and agricultural and sideline products processing industries and are formulated separately to ensure that food is non-toxic, harmless and meets the requirements. It should have the necessary nutritional requirements and have corresponding sensory properties such as color, aroma, and taste.

1 Sensory indicators: Food (including raw materials and processed products) all have color, aroma, taste, shape, and properties. Different food properties have different qualities, which can be identified through the senses.

Generally, the properties of food are mostly qualitatively described in words, and identification is mostly based on experience. However, due to the influence of physiological, experience, environmental and other factors, human sensory organs may have differences in understanding and discrimination ability. Therefore, corresponding standards must be formulated for the sensory properties of certain foods. For example, the maturity of fresh fruits and vegetables (mainly fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes) is compared by color; the whiteness of starch is checked by light reflectivity; the aroma of wine is identified by determining the ingredients, etc. . The sensory inspection of food includes inspection of three aspects: color, smell and tissue morphology of food.

Look at the color of the food: Food has a specific color. If the color of the food is abnormal and very bright, it may be caused by the addition of non-food coloring or excessive food coloring; if the color of the food is different from the normal color, If it is bland, it may be due to the addition of other substances or the food itself or the raw materials have deteriorated and become moldy.

Smell or taste the food: Foods all have their own smells and tastes. For example, hawthorn is very sour and beer is pungent. Smell the food to see if there are any abnormal odors and tastes, which can provide a basis for whether the food is pure. If you taste salty MSG, you can determine that salt has been added to the MSG.

Observe the organizational state of food: Food has its own organizational form, some are solid, liquid or powdery; some are round, some are flat, some have edges and corners; some are soft, Some are hard. For example, normal fungus is leathery, brittle and has poor elasticity, and does not feel hard. However, fungus mixed with sugar or alkali is soft to the touch but not brittle.

2 Physical and chemical indicators: Whether food meets the requirements for consumption can often only be confirmed through physical and chemical analysis.

The intrinsic quality of food, including physical properties, active ingredients, impurities, etc. The ideal food should be non-toxic, harmless and nutritious. To avoid or reduce toxic and harmful substances that may appear during food processing, physical and chemical indicators are set for general foods based on different consumption requirements, and limits of toxic and harmful substances are set according to different categories.

Physical and chemical analysis methods to confirm the intrinsic quality of food may lead to different conclusions due to differences in the methods used and the quality of the personnel. In order to avoid disputes, unified regulations must be made on relevant analysis methods, instruments, reagents, operating procedures, etc. The measurement methods of physical and chemical indicators in my country's food industry are all implemented in accordance with the "Food Hygiene Inspection Methods (Physical and Chemical Parts)" issued by the Ministry of Health.

3 Microbial indicators: There are many types of microorganisms, including yeast, lactic acid bacteria, etc. that are beneficial to humans; tuberculosis, staphylococci, etc. that are toxic and harmful to humans. The survival and reproduction of all microorganisms require a certain amount of water, air, temperature and nutrients, and all foods have these conditions, so food can easily harbor and reproduce various microorganisms. The microbial indicators specified in food hygiene standards generally refer to the types and quantities of bacteria that should be controlled or restricted, such as coliforms, pathogenic bacteria, etc.

Distinguishing the type and quantity of microorganisms requires instrumental analysis and testing. The common microbial testing methods for food in my country are implemented in accordance with the "Food Hygiene Inspection Methods (Microbiological Part)" issued by the Ministry of Health.

Food quality standards apply to processed foods that are intended for reprocessing or cooking and for direct consumption. The quality indicators specified in the standards are used to ensure the standardization of food quality. Some stipulate the nutrients required by the human body that should be contained in food, such as the maximum limit of moisture contained in small packages of raw meat, dried sea cucumbers (sea cucumbers), scallops and other seafood. Some stipulate the cooking properties of food. For example, after instant noodles are rehydrated, there should be no obvious broken or drawn strips; the taste should not be raw or stick to the teeth. Some stipulate limits for impurities contained in food. For example, the impurities contained in various types of edible oils must not exceed 0.05%. The purpose of formulating food quality standards is to protect the legitimate rights and interests and health of consumers.

4. Shelf life of food

The former Federation of Light Industry has stipulated the shelf life of some foods (the shelf life is specially marked). The main contents are:

1 Milk powder: 24 months for sealed and nitrogen-filled tinplate cans, 12 months for non-nitrogen-filled packaging, 9 months for glass bottles, and 6 months for bags; sweetened condensed milk, 9 months for tinplate cans , glass bottle lasts 3 months.

2 Malted milk: 12 months in tin-plated iron cans, 9 months in glass bottles, and 4 months in plastic bags.

3 Candy: 3 months for production in the first and fourth quarters, 2 months for production in the second and third quarters (1 month for production in the rainy season).

4 The shelf life of white snacks: 4 months for those produced in the first and fourth quarters, and 20 days for those produced in the second and third quarters. Cake: 10 days for the first quarter, 7 days for the second and third quarters, and 15 days for the fourth quarter. Moon cakes: 1 month for those produced in the first and fourth quarters, 15 days for those produced in the second and third quarters. The size of the gift cake is 3 to 4 days.

5 Biscuits: tinned, 70d for those produced in the first and fourth quarters, 35d for those produced in the second and third quarters; boxed and bagged, 50d for those produced in the first and fourth quarters, Those produced in the second and third quarters are 30d; in bulk, those produced in the first and fourth quarters are 40d, and those produced in the second and third quarters are 20d. Bread: 5 to 7 days for production in the first and fourth quarters, 3 to 4 days for production in the second and third quarters.

6 cans: canned fish, meat and poultry, 2 years in cans and glass bottles; canned fruits and vegetables, 15 months in iron cans, glass bottles; 1 year for fried dried fruits and tomato paste, in iron cans and glass bottles .

7 Fruit juice soda, fruity soda, cola soda: 3 months in glass bottles, 6 months in cans; juice and vegetable juice drinks in cans, glass bottles (including original juice or flavors extracted from natural fruits) Syrup made with added sugar and sour agent) for 6 months.

8 Beer: 11-12% bottled and canned mature beer, 4 months for provincial quality or above, 2 months for ordinary; 3 months for 14% beer; 50 days for 10-5% mature beer ; The shelf life of bottled fresh beer is 7 days; the shelf life of canned and barreled fresh beer is not less than 3 days.

9 Wine and fruit wine are 6 months; sparkling wine is 3 months; dew wine is 6 months; bottled rice wine is tentatively 3 months.

10 Instant noodles: Instant noodles in plastic bags last for 3 months.

11 Chocolate: 3 months for filled chocolate; 6 months for pure chocolate.

12 6 months for soy sauce and vinegar; 12 months for edible vegetable oil.

It should be emphasized here that the shelf life of food depends on the production conditions, packaging materials and packaging technology of the food. It is a very complex issue and cannot be simply standardized by administrative orders of government departments. The relevant provisions of national or industry standards only provide enterprises with the basis for standardized operations. The above regulations on the shelf life of some foods are mainly based on the production conditions, packaging materials and packaging processes of most food companies in my country in the 1980s. These regulations are all minimum period requirements. In fact, they mean that there is only a lower limit but no upper limit. Enterprises can completely determine the shelf life that is not lower than the national or industry standards based on their own technical level, packaging (container) performance and packaging technology. With the technological advancement of my country's food industry, some food manufacturers expressly guarantee a longer shelf life on product packaging - for example, some food factories set the shelf life of biscuits in tinplate barrels at 12 months. When consumers purchase this type of food, , you can purchase according to the shelf life expressly guaranteed by the manufacturer. Any quality problems that occur within this period shall be fully borne by the manufacturer.

The current counterfeit and shoddy food on the market mainly manifests itself in the following aspects:

1 Mixing foreign matter into food;

2 Microbial indicators in food (mainly The total number of bacteria) seriously exceeds the standard;

3 Incorporation of similar substances;

4 Use inferior products to pass off high-quality brand-name foods;

5 Use various techniques to conceal food The moldy and spoiled part of food;

6 Trademark infringement;

7 Mixing low-grade substances to pass off as high-priced food;

8 Extracting effective ingredients from food or incorporating Moisture or other ingredients;

9 Completely using substitutes as natural foods;

10 Changing or forging food shelf life or production time.

V. Import and Export Food Label Management Regulations

The "Import and Export Food Label Management Measures" were promulgated by the State Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau and officially implemented on April 1, 2000 .

Food labels refer to all labels, tags, text, graphics, symbols or other explanations on or attached to food packaging containers.

The "Measures" stipulate that the State Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau is in charge of the national import and export food label management, and is responsible for the review, approval and certification of food labels. The inspection and quarantine agency designated by the State Inspection and Quarantine Bureau is responsible for the preliminary review and inspection of food labels.

The "Measures" require that operators or their agents who import and export food should submit a food label review application to the designated inspection and quarantine agency before importing and exporting food. When applying for food label review, you must provide a food label review application form, food label design instructions and certification materials that are suitable for use, explanatory materials on the content marked on the food label, relevant regulations on food labels in the importing country (region), and food label samples. Six sets. The designated inspection and quarantine agency is responsible for accepting applications for import and export food label review and organizing preliminary reviews in accordance with relevant regulations. After the preliminary review, the application materials and preliminary review results will be submitted to the State Inspection and Quarantine Bureau for approval.

The basic contents of food labels include: food name, ingredient list, net content and solid weight, manufacturer, date mark, product standard number and storage guide, etc. Imported foods sold in my country's circulation field must be accompanied by official food labels with Chinese descriptions.

With the improvement of my country's living standards, more and more imported foods have entered the homes of ordinary people. For this reason, consumers in my country are reminded to check whether they have Chinese labels before purchasing food. Secondly, you should know whether it is the food you need from the content marked on the label. For example, there are many differences between "original fruit juice" and "fruit juice". In addition, for special nutritional foods, some special items need to be marked. For example, the food label of health milk powder should indicate the caloric content, protein content, calcium, sodium, zinc content, etc.

The National Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau stipulates that since 2000, imported alcoholic beverages, beverages, dairy products, candies and chocolates, canned goods, nuts and roasted seeds and nuts, and stereotyped products that have passed inspection and quarantine Packaged food oils and other foods are uniformly affixed with the national entry and exit inspection and quarantine mark. The mark is round silver and printed with the English abbreviation "CIQ" of the China Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.