China's new food colouring standard welcomed by industry

On 1 May 2025, China introduced a new industry standard, “Coloring Food Ingredients for the Food Industry”, which is designed to regulate the production, use and labelling of food colouring. The standard was developed by the China National Food Industry Association (CNFIA) and China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), alongside EXBERRY colour supplier GNT and other relevant experts and stakeholders.

The industry standard stipulates that food colouring must be made from fruits, vegetables, plants or algae that are normally consumed as foodstuffs.

Food colouring can only be created using physical processing methods and without the use of chemical solvents, according to the new standard. It must also retain the key properties of the raw materials, including colour, taste and nutritional value. Rigorous testing and quality control measures are also required to ensure that all food colouring ingredients meet the highest safety standards.

Due to the way they are produced, the standard classifies food colouring as ingredients rather than additives. This means they qualify for clean and clear label declarations with wordings that reflect the colouring characteristic and the function, eg, carrot food colouring.

Back in 1978, GNT developed Coloring Foods, which are plant-based, edible concentrates used to deliver colour to food, drink and supplements.

“This industrial standard is an important step forward for Coloring Foods and a great achievement for getting regulatory clarity for the Chinese market,” said Silke Fallah, Head of Global Regulatory Affairs at GNT Group.

Chinese manufacturers previously relied on a voluntary group standard, which was issued by the CNFIA in 2017 and gained recognition but lacked official industry endorsement.

The CNFIA submitted a project application for this new industry standard in 2019 and received approval for its development the following year. It now applies to all manufacturers selling food and drink in China and covers issues including technical requirements, ‌inspection rules, ‌labelling and packaging, storage, and transportation of food colouring ingredients.

“Coloring Foods are becoming increasingly popular in China as consumers seek out cleaner labels, so we’re delighted that they now have official industry recognition. Our plant-based EXBERRY colour portfolio includes a complete spectrum of Coloring Foods that are fully compliant with the new standard. We’re excited to be able to help manufacturers across China take advantage of this key development,” said Andreas Thiede, APAC General Manager for GNT Group.

Image credit: GNT Group