Packaging Labels in Taiwan: Product Name, Origin, and Expiration Date

A tea cake from Yunnan mostly carries simplified Chinese on its cotton paper, along with the factory name and production date. By the time it's on a shelf in Taiwan, it usually has an extra Chinese-language sticker. That sticker isn't decoration; it's the legally required "ID card."

Items the Packaging Must Show

Article 22 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation requires the container or outer packaging of food to clearly label the following in Chinese and commonly used symbols:

1. Product name
2. Contents: Where two or more ingredients are mixed, listed from highest to lowest content.
3. Net weight, volume, or quantity
4. Names of food additives
5. Name, phone number, and address of the manufacturer or domestic responsible company
6. Place (country) of origin
7. Expiration date
8. Nutrition labeling
9. Genetically modified food ingredients
10. Other items announced by the central competent authority

Pu'er is simply tea leaves, so the contents are usually just "tea leaves" or "pu'er tea," with no additives. For teas like xiao qing gan that include mandarin peel, both ingredients have to be listed by proportion.

How to Write the Product Name

Article 7 of the Enforcement Rules requires the product name to be "consistent with the nature of the food." So "pu'er tea," "raw pu'er," "ripe pu'er," or those plus a mountain or shape, such as "[mountain name] raw tea cake," are all common. Pu'er comes in two main categories, raw and ripe, and good labeling states which one it is directly; the difference is in Raw Pu'er vs. Ripe Pu'er.

Does the Place of Origin Have to Say China?

Yes. Article 12 of the Enforcement Rules defines the place of origin as "the country or region where the final product was manufactured, processed, or prepared," and imported food is determined under the Rules of Origin for Imported Goods. Pu'er is picked, kill-greened, sun-dried, and pressed in Yunnan, and the finished product is completed there, so the place of origin is China; many businesses write "Yunnan, China."

Simply unpacking, dividing, or repackaging in Taiwan generally doesn't amount to substantial transformation, so the place of origin is still China. If you see a vague place of origin, or only an importer's address, you can ask the shop to explain.

Is an Expiration Date Mandatory?

Yes. The expiration date is a mandatory item listed in Article 22, and Article 13 of the Enforcement Rules specifies how to write it:

• Printed on the container or outer packaging.
• Indicating year, month, and day in a customarily understandable way.
• For products with a shelf life of three months or more, the year and month alone may be given, with the last day of that month as the end date.

Tea usually has a long shelf life, so many packages give only the year and month. "Suitable for long-term storage" on the original Yunnan packaging is the wording of China's national standard; for sale in Taiwan, the business must still set a specific date based on its product's characteristics. How to read dates is covered in Production Dates and Shelf Life.

When Is the Chinese Label Applied to Imported Tea?

Article 19 of the Enforcement Rules requires imported food to have Chinese labeling added before import; if it will be repacked or divided after arrival, it must at least carry information that matches the goods, such as product name, company, and date, at the time of import, with Chinese labeling completed before sale.

The same article also sets character size: each character must be no less than 2 millimeters in both height and width. For small packages with a largest surface area under 80 square centimeters, characters for items other than product name, company name, and expiration date may be smaller than 2 millimeters. For small packages like dragon pearls, mini tuocha, and individual tea bags, the common practice is to print the full labeling on the outer box or bag.

Whose Company Information Goes on the Label?

Article 11 of the Enforcement Rules says imported food must be labeled with the name, phone number, and address of the "domestic responsible company," and may also list the foreign manufacturer. The domestic responsible company is the business in Taiwan directly legally responsible for the product, someone you can reach if there's a problem.

How Is Loose Tea Labeled?

Tea sold by weight without sealed packaging counts as bulk food. Article 20 of the Enforcement Rules defines it as food displayed without packaging, or whose packaging isn't tamper-evident, doesn't extend shelf life, isn't sealed, and isn't intended to expand the scope of sale.

Under Article 25, the competent authority announces which bulk food items must be labeled and with what, such as product name, place of origin, and manufacturing or expiration date. When buying loose tea, you can check the label card where it's displayed or ask the shop about its origin and tea type.

Aged Tea and Original Packaging

Traditional cotton paper, neifei, and neipiao are a tea's history, not the Chinese-language labeling required by Taiwanese law. With aged tea, the original packaging tells you about its period and the Chinese label tells you who is responsible; it's best to have both. How to read the information on cotton paper is in How to Read Pu'er Tea Packaging.

FAQ

Does pu'er sold in Taiwan have to have Chinese labeling? Yes. Article 22 of the Food Safety Act requires labeling in Chinese and commonly used symbols, and imported tea must have Chinese labeling added before it can be imported or sold.

Can the expiration date give only the year and month? Yes. For food with a shelf life of three months or more, the expiration date may give only the year and month, ending on the last day of that month.

Can pu'er repackaged in Taiwan list Taiwan as its place of origin? No. The place of origin is where the final product was made, and simple dividing or repackaging isn't substantial transformation, so pu'er's place of origin remains China.

Does loose tea sold by weight need labeling? Bulk food must be labeled with the product name, place of origin, and other items for the categories announced by the competent authority; when buying loose tea, check the label card or ask the shop directly.