A draft Chinese national standard would require health food (保健食品) manufacturers to inspect their own quality management systems at least once every six months. Makers whose processes include fermentation, synthesis or enzymatic hydrolysis would do so at least once a quarter, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR, 市场监管总局) said on 8 October 2026.
The draft is open for public comment as a recommended national standard
The draft, the Specification for Self-inspection of Quality Management Systems of Health Food Manufacturers (《保健食品生产企业质量管理体系自查工作规范》), has been posted for comment on the National Public Service Platform for Standards Information (全国标准信息公共服务平台).
It is a recommended national standard (推荐性国家标准). SAMR guided its drafting, and it falls under the National Technical Committee on Special Foods Standardisation (SAC/TC466, 全国特殊食品标准化技术委员会).
| Guiding body | State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) |
| Responsible committee | National Technical Committee on Special Foods Standardisation (SAC/TC466) |
| Document | Specification for Self-inspection of Quality Management Systems of Health Food Manufacturers (draft for comment) |
| Type | Recommended national standard |
| Announced | 8 October 2026 |
| Scope | Basic requirements, frequency and methods, procedures and reporting for health food manufacturers’ quality system self-inspections |
Manufacturers are the legal party responsible for self-inspection
SAMR cites the Food Safety Law, its implementing regulations and the provisions on supervising food businesses’ primary responsibility for food safety as the legal basis.
Under these rules, health food manufacturers are the legal party responsible for self-inspecting their quality management systems. They must put food safety management rules in place and set up and run a quality management system.
They must also check and evaluate their food safety status and the running of that system at regular intervals, and submit self-inspection reports.
Fermentation and synthesis plants would self-inspect every quarter
The draft sets a single frequency for routine self-inspections. All health food manufacturers would carry them out at least once every six months.
Manufacturers whose production and processing include fermentation, synthesis or enzymatic hydrolysis steps would carry them out at least once a quarter.
| Situation | Requirement |
|---|---|
| All health food manufacturers | Routine self-inspection at least once every six months |
| Processes include fermentation, synthesis or enzymatic hydrolysis | Routine self-inspection at least once a quarter |
| Major change in production conditions | Timely special self-inspection |
| Resumption after a production halt | Timely special self-inspection |
| Failed sampling inspection | Timely special self-inspection |
| Food safety incident or major public controversy (重大舆情) | Timely special self-inspection |
Special checks would follow failed tests, incidents and production restarts
Beyond the routine schedule, the draft requires manufacturers to carry out a special self-inspection promptly in four situations: a major change in production conditions, a restart after production has stopped, a failed sampling inspection, and a food safety incident or major public controversy.
A standard form and report would cover each inspection
The draft sets out one procedure for the whole process: preparation, inspection, handling of results, correction and improvement, and filing of records.
A normative annex provides a standard self-inspection form and the requirements for the self-inspection report.
SAMR says the standard would give manufacturers a single technical basis for self-inspections and push them to carry out their primary responsibility for food safety. It would also support regulators’ risk prevention and supervision across the whole supply chain.
Coming up · We may follow up with the full draft text once it is reviewed, and with SAMR’s other recent rules on health food and special foods.
