Shanghai Health Food Packaging Spot Check: 9 Batches Fail, Guangdong Kangfulai Cited Again for Void Ratio

On April 26, the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation launched a supervisory spot check covering (excessive) packaging of health food products made or sold in Shanghai. A total of 56 product batches were sampled, and 9 failed inspection.

The inspection was carried out against standards including GB23350-2009 Requirements for Restricting Excessive Packaging of Commodities — Food and Cosmetics and JJF1244-2010 Rules for Metrological Inspection of Food and Cosmetic Packaging. The checked items were packaging void ratio and packaging layer count.

One entry on the non-compliance list involved Kangfulai brand American ginseng buccal tablets (0.6g/tablet × 12 tablets/box × 10 boxes, 2019-07-16), produced by Guangdong Kangfulai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which failed the packaging void ratio test.

In packaging terms, 'void ratio' is the ratio between unnecessary space volume inside a commodity package and the volume of the sales package. Under Requirements for Restricting Excessive Packaging of Commodities — Food and Cosmetics, failing any one of three metrics—packaging void ratio, packaging layers, or packaging cost as a share of selling price—qualifies as excessive packaging.

Official website information shows that Kangfulai Group was established in 1972 and began mainland operations in 1985. Guangdong Kangfulai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. focuses mainly on health products and Chinese patent medicines.

Records on the Qichacha app show that Guangdong Kangfulai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. was penalized in 2015 in a case involving production and sale of food with heavy metal levels exceeding food safety standard limits. In 2016, after it produced American ginseng buccal tablets that did not meet mandatory standards, the Shunde District Market Bureau ordered the company to halt production of the non-compliant tablets, carry out necessary technical handling, and pay a fine of 50,000 yuan. In 2017, because it produced and sold health food with labels and instructions that violated the Food Safety Law, the Foshan Shunde District Market Bureau confiscated 177,191.11 yuan in illegal gains and seized the health food involved.

On May 7, 2020, the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation released the 2019 Shanghai Commodity Packaging (Excessive Packaging) Supervisory Spot Check Results. Five batches produced by Guangdong Kangfulai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.—Kangfulai Ejiao Bird's Nest Drink, Ejiao Ginseng and Medlar Drink, two batches of Rock Sugar Bird's Nest Drink, and Ginseng Paste (Plant Beverage)—failed the packaging void ratio check.

Separately, according to relevant media reports, Qingdao Runtai Enterprise Co., Ltd. purchased 'Kangfulai High-Nutrition Protein Powder' from Guangdong Kangfulai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Sampling inspection found that the product's label and sodium items did not meet relevant requirements and it was judged non-compliant, resulting in a fine of 60,000 yuan.

A reporter sought comment from a relevant person in charge at the company. As of the reporter's deadline, there had been no reply.

—This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-377376.html