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lfgb standards on the packaging of Chinese products. Examples of filling out certificates

To confirm the quality of the product, the manufacturer must receive a special certificate. A sample of the product is subjected to a special analysis, the results of which are compared with the parameters established by regulations (GOSTs, technical regulations, etc.).

The product quality standard, however, can be not only national, but also international. For example, when exporting goods to EU countries, the manufacturer must receive a special certificate (a sample document is presented above). It confirms compliance with safety standards in 28 EU countries, as well as Norway, Turkey, Liechtenstein and Iceland.

Let's take a closer look at the features of product certification in the countries of the European Union.

General information

CE marking is a special mark that is applied to goods to confirm their compliance with EU directives and harmonized technical regulations. It means that the product is certified or declared for the European market.

Today, CE certification is the only mandatory procedure that confirms the quality of goods for EU countries. The marking is not allowed to be used for marketing or advertising purposes, or applied voluntarily to products for which this type of certification is not provided. To increase consumer confidence in such products, it is enough to use internal standards. For example, in Germany the GS marking is used.

Specifics

CE certification ensures unhindered access of products to the EU market and their circulation within the entire economic space of the EU, with the exception of Switzerland.

A certificate issued in one of the countries of the European Union is also valid in other countries that are members of it. Products may be in free circulation and sale.

In fact, the procedure has much in common with the ETS (CU standards - Customs Union). Will CE replace Customs Union certification? This is unlikely to be possible, at least in the near future, given the tense international situation. Meanwhile, an enterprise whose products have passed CE certification has advantages in the domestic market.

If a product sold on European markets does not bear the CE mark, it will be removed from circulation.

The certification body is SIA International Center for Quality Certification. He carries out work related to confirming the compliance of the quality of goods with the requirements established in European legislation and strictly in accordance with the code of business ethics. Certification body has all the necessary equipment. Its employees conduct all examinations themselves.

It is worth saying that documents from domestic manufacturers are accepted in Russian.

Historical background

The idea of creating a CE certification system first appeared in 1985. However, it appeared in its modern form only in 1993. Certification procedure was introduced simultaneously with the first standards in accordance with Directive 93/68/EEC.

In 2008, a reform of the system was carried out, within the framework of which several fundamental documents were adopted, on the basis of which it continues to develop today.

Regulatory framework

Issue European certificate and quality control of goods are carried out in accordance with Decision No. 768/2008/EC of the European Parliament, adopted in 2008.

The procedure is mandatory for more than 30 types of products and is carried out on the basis of 5 thousand harmonized standards, the number of which is constantly increasing.

Types of products

CE certificate of conformity is required for:

Construction materials.
PPE (personal protective equipment).
Lifting mechanisms, elevators.
Medical equipment.
Children's toys.
Electrical equipment.
Measuring instruments.
Production equipment.

This is not a complete list of products subject to certification.

Features of marking

All goods subject to the directives imported or sold within the EU must be marked with a special sign. Depending on the specifics of the product or service, one or several different standards may be applied to them.

When marking, other signs may be applied, for example:

Voluntary certification.
Electrical safety.
Explosion hazards ATEX.
Energy class.
Fire hazard class.

The conditions for their application are regulated by EU directives, national and harmonized standards.

Responsibility

Failure to comply with the rules of certification and labeling of products, or deliberate abuse of them leads to serious consequences. Often, the absence of special signs on a product is punished with hundreds of thousands of euros. Gross violation of the order may result in criminal sanctions. Goods that do not meet the standards are withdrawn from circulation and destroyed at the expense of the importer or manufacturer.

Responsibility for the compliance of the quality of products and services with established standards, as well as for the presence of markings, rests with all participants in the turnover. These include not only the manufacturer and importer, but also the final seller.

Monitoring compliance with the rules is entrusted to national supervisory structures. They may take administrative measures if violations are detected.

Marking procedure

The CE mark must be displayed on the packaging in a visible place. The marking must be clearly legible and not erased.

If a notified laboratory was involved in the certification procedure, its number is indicated next to the sign.

The size of the marking must be at least 5 mm. The proportions of the sign must be preserved. If it is not possible to label the product, it is applied to the packaging and also indicated in the accompanying documentation, including the instructions for use.

Certification process

It can be carried out both within the framework of declaration and during research with the involvement of an independent laboratory notified in any country of the European Union.

In most cases, it is enough to assess the conformity of the goods with EU standards and then declare them. It can be carried out by the importer or the manufacturer himself. In this case, the subject will be responsible for the quality of the products and their compliance with the norms, directives and standards established for this type of product. In addition, the declarant can be an EU resident or a person with a representative in the European Union.

Mandatory events

Declaring products in accordance with European standards requires a set of procedures. These include:

Determination of standards for the declared type of goods.
Checking compliance with these standards.
Perform required tests.
Preparation of protocols.
Preparation of technical documents.
Filing a declaration.
Labeling of goods.

Special cases

For individual products that pose an increased risk, only certification is carried out with the involvement of a notified laboratory to carry out independent testing and issue a conclusion on compliance.

It should be said that research is possible with specialists visiting the enterprise that produces the product, including abroad. In such a situation, all costs are covered by the customer.

Nuances

The manufacturer or his representative in the European Union must retain test reports and other documentation for at least 10 years from the date of the procedure. Controlling structures may need the papers at any time.

To certify certain types of goods, the manufacturer must comply with ISO 9001 standards (management compliance with requirements for the production process. Certification in this case is carried out with the involvement of an accredited center.

Help from intermediaries

Manufacturers who have been working in the European market for a long time know all the intricacies of the declaration and certification procedure. Enterprises releasing their goods to EU countries for the first time may encounter a number of difficulties.

At first, you can use the services of intermediary companies. They can advise on all issues related to certification and labeling. This will significantly reduce costs (both time and financial). The intermediary will negotiate with independent laboratories and assist in testing.

If necessary, you can instruct the company to act as an authorized representative in the European Union to issue a certificate. The list of intermediary services usually includes:

Consulting on labeling issues.
Estimation of the cost of the certification procedure.
Translation of technical documents.
Assessment of product compliance with standards and directives.
Preparation and execution of tests in an independent laboratory notified in one of the EU countries.
Preparation of technical documents.
Filing a declaration.
Providing services of an authorized representative of the manufacturer/importer.
Support of the declaration/certification process.

Additionally

The validity period of certificates is usually unlimited. However, for certain types of products it can be valid for 3-10 years.

The cost of the receipt procedure depends on the characteristics of the product, the number of harmonized standards to which it falls, the need for laboratory tests, the number of such checks, and the feasibility of attracting specialists from an independent laboratory. Of no small importance is the volume of potential risk associated with the operation (use) of specific products.

Conclusion

CE certification is considered a rather complex procedure. It is necessary to correctly fill out all the papers and carry out the necessary procedures in the authorized structures. Product labeling, of course, will require significant investment. However, the benefits of certification are difficult to overestimate.

Currently, the turnover of products from EU countries to the Russian Federation is significantly limited. Accordingly, compliance of goods with national standards is of greater importance. Meanwhile, some countries outside the European Union, with which Russia has quite a high trade turnover, also mark their products with the CE mark. They, in turn, are interested in receiving goods that meet European standards. Therefore, CE certification is also relevant for Russia.

AQSIQ (Chinese: 中华人民共和国国家质量监督检验检疫总局) is a ministerial-level unit within the State Council of the People's Republic of China, which is responsible for national quality, weights and measures, import and export goods inspection, import and export animal quarantine and plants, safety of import-export food products, certification and accreditation, standardization, as well as administrative law enforcement agencies.

A Chinese brand that has earned the respect of time - Zhong Hua Lao Zi Hao (Chinese: 中华老字号) is an honorary title awarded by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM) only to those organizations in China whose brand has a long history, and whose products, techniques or services have passed through generations people with a strong Chinese culture at its core and widely recognized in society.

Currently, about 1,000 brands have this title, including Tongrentang (traditional Chinese medicine), Quanjude, Xiaguan and Xiamen (tea).

During the Cultural Revolution, many brands disappeared, many lost their history. Lao Zi Hao was officially established in 1991. Some of the surviving brands were renamed as Lao Zi Hao, allowing them to rediscover their commercial past. Some were returned to their original owners, but most remained in government ownership. But despite all the changes in ownership and locations, there remains a reserve of nobility attached to these time-tested brands.

As Zhang Jian, Secretary General of the Beijing Traditional Trademark Association says:

“Lao Zi Hao's status implies meeting certain standards. They must have been established before 1956, support profitable operations and provide products with unique characteristics."

The China Green Food Development Center, abbreviated as CGFDC (Chinese: 中国绿色食品发展中心) - The China Green Food Development Center is the first institution in the PRC to oversee organic food standards. The center was founded in November 1992, and began operating around 1990, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China. Then, in 1993, CGFDC joined the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM). Its main goal is to stimulate the development of food products to improve their quality and safety in harmony with nature, protect the ecological environment and support the development of the economy and society. His main responsibilities include: development of policy for plant-based products, regulation and planning structure for the development of food standards, organization and direction of development and for food products.

CGFDC is developing two Plant Based Product Standards:

A (which allows the use of some synthetic agricultural chemicals)
AA (more stringent, allows less use of such chemicals, and therefore less popular among agricultural producers).

Both standards focus on the end product rather than the process and generally do not monitor the actual use of agricultural fertilizers, preferring instead to examine the products themselves for the presence of chemical residues. In this way, the organization helps farmers go from chemical farming to A-Class Standard and further to organic certification. Also, the CGFDC serves as proof of the birth of clean products: “The improvement of China's Plant-Based Products is the result of actively exploring new ways of producing and consuming food based on China's own situation and in accordance with the international trend of sustainable development.
This certification is used by Xiaguan, Yi Pin Tang and other factories.

Beijing Continental Hengtong Certification Co.,ltd, CHTC is an authoritative certification body, which was founded with the approval of the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China, CNCA.

The audit of organic products is divided into:

GB/T19630.1-2011 organic products Part 1: Production
GB/T19630.2-2011 organic products Part 2: Processing
GB/T19630.3-2011 organic products Part 3: Labeling and marketing
GB/T19630.4-2011 organic products Part 4: Management system

Products from farms in the process of converting to organic systems are labeled as “conversion to organic.”

These signs mark the products of the Tulin plant

This mark is awarded to organic food products certified by the Nanjing Organic Food Development Center (OFDC) of the State Administration of Environmental Protection.

Founded in 1994, OFDC is the oldest and largest specialized organization in China for organic research, inspection and certification and is the only Certifier in China that has been accredited by IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement) and ISO65. OFDC has more than thirty organic inspectors, among them 12 have received IOIA (the International Organic Inspectors Association) certificates.

OFDC provides organic certification services for China National Organic Standard and OFDC Organic Certification Standard. Products certified by the organization are in demand in markets not only in mainland China, but also in Korea, Hong Kong and Macau. In addition, OFDC has established close mutual recognition relationships with more than 20 IFOAM-accredited certification bodies in the EU, Japan and the USA, thereby ensuring that certified products reach these major organic markets around the world.

This mark is awarded to organic food products certified by the China Organic Food Certification Center (COFCC) under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Organic tea certified by the Organic Tea Research and Development Center in Hangzhou (OTRDC). This Center is an additional domestic certifier in China, which was originally an offshoot of OFDC. The Center is primarily responsible for the certification of organic tea and has been involved in creating standards for organic teas.
Such certification was seen on the teas of the Mengku plant

Registered in Hong Kong, the Islamic Food Research Center (IFRC Asia) is one of the main Halal (Arabic for "permissible") certification centers that provide exceptional assistance in obtaining Halal certification for all food and non-food related products, allowing these products enter the two-billion-dollar global Muslim market.

Previously, in late 2007, IFRC applied for registration with the World Halal Council (WHC), the federation of global Halal certificates stratified worldwide, and received membership in 2009. Since then, IFRC Asia has been associated with Islamic councils and associations in 20 countries and is recognized in their respective countries.

The distinguished list of experts consists of qualified staff who have completed their studies from reputed local and international universities in the fields of food studies, food engineering and international business. Today, IFRC Asia has clients in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cambodia, etc. You can find this certificate on the products of the Haiwan factory.

Yunnan Famous Brand Products Mark issued by the Yunnan Brand Strategy Promotion Committee

HACCP certification is an international standard that defines the requirements for effective food safety control.
The standard is based on 7 principles:

Conducting a risk analysis for biological, chemical or physical hazards of food
Determination of critical control points
Establishing critical control limits, such as minimum temperature and cooking time
Creation of a control system that allows you to monitor control of Critical Control Points
Creating Corrective Actions
Establishing a test procedure to confirm that the HACCP system is working effectively
Documentation creation and record keeping

The China Food Security Annual Conference is jointly organized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the State Food and Drug Administration, and the China National Food Association Industry. This award is given to Puer pancakes from the Yipin Tang company

China Quality Certification Center (CQC) is a professional certification body in accordance with the China Certification and Inspection Group (CCIC), approved by the State General Administration of Quality Supervision and Inspection, Quarantine, Certification and Accreditation of the People's Republic of China. As the largest professional certification body in China, CQC emerged from the former China Electrical Equipment Conformity Certification Commission, founded in 1985. In April 2002, CQC was created by merging 6 agencies under 5 ministries.

CQC is a National Certification Body (NCB) in the IECEE CB system and an official member of IQNet, IFOAM, ANF and CITA. CQC has also been officially authorized by the Japanese government to offer Mandatory Product SE (PSE) services for Japanese products. In addition, CQC has established collaborative relationships with 27 certification bodies from 19 countries and regions.

What is a Form A certificate?

More often called certificate form A(Certificate of Origin form A, abbreviated C/O or COO) - an official document that proves that the goods for which this certificate is issued certificate, actually produced in that country, from which they are imported into Russia. Perhaps, along with a quarantine certificate, this is the most common type of additional documents that must be provided during customs clearance of goods.

Who is interested in obtaining a Country of Origin Certificate?

In receipt certificate form A First of all, the importing party is interested, so the issue of provision must be raised at the negotiation stage. It would be even better if the contract contains a clause containing the obligation of the Chinese supplier to receive certificate form A and deliver it with cargo. In our experience, getting one in China is not particularly difficult.

Why do you need a country of origin certificate?

Certificate Form A may be needed during customs clearance to determine the rates of import customs duties. In accordance with customs legislation, when importing goods, happening from some countries, China, by the way, is one of them; for certain groups of goods, tariff benefits are provided - customs preferences (by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 414 of May 25, 2000 - list countries and No. 1057 dated September 13, 1994 – list of goods subject to customs benefits).

But crossing the Russian-Chinese border does not mean that the goods were produced in China and not imported in transit from another country. In this case it is simply necessary certificate form A.

The second case is less pleasant, and, unfortunately, occurs much more often - the use of compensatory and protective measures to protect domestic producers, the main of which are. Country of Origin Certificate for goods that are subject to anti-dumping legislation, since it usually applies to a limited number of people countries.

Except customs certificate form A may be needed at the bank, for example, if the contract provides for a letter of credit form of payment, country of origin certificate may be included in the list of documents confirming the delivery.

Which authority issues Country Certificate Form A in China?

In China country of origin certificate form A issued by the China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau (CIQ). Down country of origin certificate The signature and seal of the regional representative office of this institution must be present. Certificates issued by other authorities will most likely not pass customs control. At almost any point crossing the Russian-Chinese border there are CIQ representative offices, so there are no problems with obtaining certificate form A Chinese exporters usually do not have this problem. The cost of obtaining a certificate is also relatively low - 150-200 yuan, so do not neglect such an important and necessary document, but do not forget to warn in advance that you need a certificate from the country of origin of your Chinese partner.

CE Certificate is an analogue of the Russian one and allows you to import and sell certified products on the territory of the European Union, freeing the manufacturer and importer from problems at customs.

The CE certificate is uniform for all EU member countries and is issued in accordance with existing directives that establish various forms of CE certification: with and without a mandatory visit to production, with an expert visiting the location of the product for its analysis (if samples are delivered impossible, for example, due to size or weight), with tests in Russian laboratories or with mandatory tests abroad, etc. The CE certificate contains the details of the manufacturer and/or supplier. For certain products, it is necessary to obtain a CE certificate for both the final product and its components. Moreover, you can issue one certificate for products classified under the same HS code accurate to the sixth digit.

Our specialists will help you quickly obtain a CE certificate. You provide a minimum package of documents and we begin work without prepayment. Over 7 years, we prepared 14,000 documents for 3,500 companies in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Mandatory and voluntary certification

Conventionally, the CE certificate can be divided into mandatory and voluntary: the mandatory certificate indicates the number of the notified body, while the voluntary certificate does not. A mandatory certificate gives the manufacturer the right to import products into the EU and mark them with the CE mark for subsequent sale. Products that are not subject to mandatory CE certification can be imported into the EU, but their sale is impossible without obtaining a voluntary certificate. For such products it is necessary to obtain permits for compliance with the national standard of the country where the product is sent.

Stages of obtaining a CE certificate:

determination of the directive according to which product certification will be carried out;
audit of provided documents;
production analysis (expert visit);
preparation of technical test file;
obtaining a CE certificate.

Validity period of the CE certificate

In most cases, CE certificate valid for 3 years with annual inspection control. However, there are certificates issued for 10 years or indefinitely, providing for inspection control only when changes are made to manufactured products. The CE certificate is issued in accordance with the selected European directive, which is why the validity period of such certificates may vary.

Products that must be marked with the CE mark:

Low voltage equipment;
Simple pressure vessels;
Toys;
Construction products;
Technical means capable of creating electromagnetic interference;
Machinery;
Personal protective equipment;
Radio and telecommunications terminal equipment;
Medical devices for in vitro diagnostics (in vitro); Non-automatic weighing instruments;
Active implantable medical devices;
Gas appliances;
Boilers;
Explosive substances for civil purposes;
Medical devices;
Equipment operating in potentially explosive environments;
Pleasure boats;
Elevators;
Refrigeration units;
Pressure equipment;
Ropeways for transporting passengers;
Measuring instruments.

When organizing the export of food products, as well as products subject to mandatory certification to China, it is necessary to register CCIC and AQSIQ certificates.

AQSIQ- General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (Chinese: 中华人民共和国国家质量监督检验检疫总局) is a ministry-level department under the control of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, which is responsible for quality, metrology, inspection of goods for export and import, food safety products , movement and quarantine of animals and plants. AQSIQ directly manages provincial quality inspection and technical supervision. www.aqsiq.net

CCIC- China Certification & Inspection Group is an independent certification, examination and testing organization accredited by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China (AQSIQ). Certificates issued by CCIC based on testing and quality control procedures carried out by the organization's specialists are accepted by government authorities. Sometimes their presence is mandatory. www.ccic.com

From October 01, 2015, in accordance with AQSIQ Regulation No. 98, all food and beverage manufacturers, as well as agents and consignees of these products in China are required to submit their company information to the AQSIQ Food Safety Bureau, General Administration of Quality Supervision of China, inspection and quarantine. After submitting the application, the exporter receives an AQSIQ registration number.

The application indicates the name of the exporter and agent, country, region, address of the manufacturer, contact person, telephone number, category of food products, etc. One of the points is ISO certification.

Product categories: meat, eggs (and egg products), seafood (and canned seafood products), grains, cereals (and grain products), fats and oils, soft drinks and beverages, sugar, vegetables (and plant products), plant-based flavoring ingredients, dried fruits and nuts, other plant products, canned products, dairy products, bee products, liquor and alcohol, confectionery cookies and crackers, candied fruits, cigarettes, tea, aromatic ingredients, processed fruits, foods for special dietary purposes .

Registration is valid for 3 years, registration time is 2 weeks
Registration fee for food products $ 230
Registration fee for registration of dairy products $ 890
Label approval fee $49/label

A Chinese or international firm providing consulting services is usually hired to prepare documents.

Mandatory and voluntary certification of products

China has a mandatory certification system for products that pose a risk to the health and safety of humans, animals and plants, as well as the environment and public safety.

Mandatory product certification applies to 135 types of products, which are divided into 20 categories

The list of products subject to mandatory certification in China is available on the website: www.cqc.com.cn/www/english/index.shtml All products listed in the List are subject to certification by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China.

Products that have received permission to import are marked CCC - the mark of compulsory certification of China (China Compulsory Certification)

Authorities issuing these certificates: Department of Quotas and Licensing; departments of foreign trade and economic cooperation at the provincial level; departments of foreign trade and economic cooperation of the cities of Shenyang, Dalian, Guangzhou, Xi'an.

In addition to mandatory product certification, China has voluntary product certification, which is carried out by the Chinese Center for Certification and Quality. Voluntary certification mark - CQC. Products are tested to meet quality, safety, environmental and performance requirements.

You can submit an application to the China Quality Certification Center online or in writing. To apply online (for the first time), you must register as a new user on the website www.cqc.com.cn.

CCC and CQC certificates can be issued in both Chinese and English; For foreigners completing an application in Chinese, a legally certified translation is required. The applicant must indicate the legal entity (manufacturer) on whose behalf the application is being submitted. When submitting a written application, the Certification Center publishes the applicant's data on the website www.cqc.com.cn and informs the applicant of the username and password, providing a list of documents to fill out directly or by fax.

To obtain this certificate you will need the following documents:

Certificate of free production and sale in the country of origin, presented by an association or administrative body such as the Food Industry Association, as well as a Unified Certificate for all types of products (in duplicate);
Two copies of the business license for production, certified by the seal of the manufacturing company;
Product samples in unopened packaging (1500 grams of each product) for AQSIQ testing.
Label (8 pieces per product). 2 of them must be presented on the product packaging, 4 must be printed in color on an A4 sheet (21 cm * 29.7 cm);

Certification of food products is carried out according to the following methods:

sample preparation and sealing;
quantity/weight/quality overview;
packaging and labeling assessment;
assessment of the loading and unloading process;
loss assessment;
sensory test;
physical test;
microbiological tests;
chemical test;
assessment of heavy metal content;
test for food additives;
pesticide test;
the presence of toxic heavy metals;
radioactivity index;
residues of veterinary drugs.

For industrial goods:

design assessment;
type test;
sample testing or on-site inspection;
sample testing or market control;
audit of the company's quality assurance system;
subsequent inspection.

The product certification model is determined by integrated indicators, such as product characteristics, potential risks to human health, the environment and public safety, as well as the product life cycle, etc.