🇨🇳 Foods banned or restricted in China but legal in the US

Overview

China's food safety is governed by the National Food Safety Standard (GB standards) system, overseen by the National Health Commission (NHC) and the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). China prohibits ractopamine in all meat production—a ban that has caused significant trade friction with the US. China also bans BVO and applies stricter limits on many pesticide residues than the US.

Key differences vs. the United States

China has banned the production, sale and import of ractopamine since December 5, 2011 (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology joint bulletin; earlier listed in the 2002 "Banned drugs in feed and animals water"); US pork and beef fed ractopamine cannot be imported into China without a ractopamine-free certification program. Recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST/rBGH) is not approved for use in Chinese dairy cattle. Under GB 2760, China's national food additive standard, brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is not listed as a permitted food additive for use in beverages — while it was legal in US soft drinks until the FDA's 2024 revocation, with full compliance not required until August 2025.