Introducing “Weight Ratio” into National Standard to Prevent Over-packaging of Zongzi

On August 18, 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Standardization Administration of China issued a notice on soliciting opinions on the revision sheet No.2 (draft for comments) of the mandatory national standard “Restricting Overpackaging of Commodities: Food and Cosmetics” (GB 23350-2021). While in June, 2023, an article published on Guangming Daily during the Dragon Boat Festival put forward the suggestion that the weight ration of packaging should be introduced into relevant standard to prevent over-packaging of zongzi more effectively.

To this end, here are several questions worth discussing:

1) Why in practice, the basis for judging whether there is over-packaging has become so complicated that we can only rely on professional measurement by regulatory authorities and technical departments?

2) Why did the measurement index of net weight vs. total weight that existed in the standard many years ago disappear in the later version of the national standard?

3) Why have many foods and cosmetics that are obviously over-packed always been rated as “up to standard” through testing by professionals when relevant standards are applied?

In view of the over-packaging of tea, zongzi, moon cakes and other foods in recent years, this issue is worth reflecting on at the occasion when the mandatory national standard “Restricting Overpackaging of Commodities: Food and Cosmetics” is under revision.

Original Chinese Article:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/VxXsExOZd6dJfFUlKZWQfQ

Translator: Irene

Checked by Richard

Editor: Irene

Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

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