The Foodstuff Hygiene Law providing new labelling requirements for imported foods has entered into effect in the People's Republic of China. The law requires that packages of imported foods and food supplements sold in China should indicate in Chinese characters, inter alia, the name and origin of the product and its ingredients, the name and address of the manufacturer, and the place and date of manufacture. The information on the label should not be exaggerated or fraudulent, and the label should be clear and easily recognizable to the consumer. Manufacturers of foreign food products have been allowed until August 31, 1996, to prepare new labels for their products and send them to The Quality Authentication Center for approval. Meanwhile, temporary Chinese labels can be obtained from the Secretariat of the National Standard Technology Committee of the Food Industry.