Why exporters meet GB 4806
China's national food safety standards for food contact materials are the GB 4806 series. Every partner plant that sells food packaging in the domestic market works to them, so stock items from the Guangdong takeout cluster or the household plastics plants in Taizhou and Ningbo often come with a GB 4806 test report already on file. For a buyer this is the first document a plant can send, usually within days, and it says something useful: the plant knows food contact rules, works with a test lab and keeps reports for its models.
It is also the document most often misused. A GB 4806 report shows that an item met the Chinese standard under the conditions tested. It does not show compliance with FDA 21 CFR for the US or with Regulation (EU) 10/2011 for the EU, which have their own substance lists, limits, simulants and paperwork. The desk uses a GB report as a starting point and builds the destination file on top of it.
The family at a glance
| Standard | Scope | Parts in this range |
|---|---|---|
| GB 4806.1 | General safety requirements for food contact materials and articles | All food contact parts |
| GB 4806.6 | Food contact plastic resins | PP, PET and other resin grades used by the plant |
| GB 4806.7-2023 | Food contact plastic materials and articles, new edition | PP boxes, tubs, bowls, lids, PET fruit boxes, storage containers |
| GB 4806.8 | Food contact paper, board and paper products | Bakery boxes, click-lock boxes, pizza boxes |
| GB/T 41010 | Marking for degradable plastics | Only where a degradable claim is made, details per standard |
GB 4806.1: the general rules
GB 4806.1 sets the general requirements that apply across materials, in the same role that Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 plays in the EU. Materials must not release substances into food in amounts that harm health or change the food, and products must carry the information buyers and users need. It is the umbrella the other parts sit under, so most GB reports and declarations cite it alongside the material-specific part.
GB 4806.6 and 4806.7-2023: resin and finished plastics
GB 4806.6 covers plastic resins, the granules a plant buys. GB 4806.7 covers finished plastic materials and articles, the boxes, lids, cups and bins a buyer receives, and the 2023 edition is the current version. The split mirrors the EU logic: a resin producer documents the grade, and the converting plant documents the finished item. Resin producers' declarations seen by the desk increasingly cite both EU 10/2011 and GB 4806.7-2023 for the same grade, which is convenient, but it remains a resin document. A report on the finished box to GB 4806.7-2023 is the one to ask the plant for.
When reading a report, check that it names the exact model, the color and the material of each part. A report for a clear 750 ml PP box does not automatically cover the black base version, and a report on the base does not cover a PET lid.
GB 4806.8: paper and board
Paper bakery boxes, click-lock takeout boxes and printed gift boxes from the Longgang printing cluster near Wenzhou fall under GB 4806.8 where they touch food. Kraft, white card and white card with a foil lining are all paper products under this part. Where a box has a clear window in PET or PVC, the window is a plastic part, it should not touch hot food, and it is assessed separately. For US sales, paper parts also need a PFAS statement under state rules; GB 4806.8 does not answer that question.
GB/T 41010 and degradable wording
GB/T 41010 covers marking for degradable plastics in China. It is relevant because starch-based containers are often offered with degradable wording. In the partner plant literature the starch-based range is described only as corn starch and is filed under PP thermoforming, so the desk treats it as a starch and PP blend and does not describe it as biodegradable or compostable. A Chinese degradable mark is not evidence for an EU or US claim; those depend on EN 13432 or ASTM D6400 certification and, in the US, on the FTC Green Guides.
Reading a GB report line by line
A GB report from a partner plant usually runs to a few pages. The cover names the lab, the client and the sample; the body lists the standard, the test items, the simulants, the conditions and the results against the limits. Four lines deserve attention before the report goes into the file. The client name shows who the report was issued to, normally the plant, sometimes a trading company. The sample description shows exactly what was tested, and should match your model, color and part. The test conditions show the temperature and time, which tell you whether the result says anything about hot fill or reheating. The date and edition show whether the report reflects the current GB 4806.7-2023 or an earlier version.
If any of those lines does not match the item you are buying, the report is still useful background, but it is not evidence for your item. The desk records the gap and asks the plant either to confirm coverage in writing or to test the version you will buy.
Using a GB report in an export file
- Check that the report names the model, color and material of each part, and that it is to the current edition.
- Note the test conditions: simulants, temperature and time.
- Map the destination market: FDA 21 CFR for the US, EU 1935/2004 and 10/2011 for the EU.
- Request the destination declaration from the partner plant for the finished item.
- Order additional migration or extraction tests where the destination requires them.
- Keep the GB report in the file as supporting evidence, labelled as such.
Documents are issued to partner plants or to your brand per project and verified by the desk. Standards change and editions are replaced, so confirm the current position with your test lab or counsel before relying on any report for a market decision.
Where to go next
The compliance and certifications page lists what each market needs, the compliance checklist puts the markets side by side, and industry clusters explains which plants make which parts. Lab time is planned into the sample stage; typical timings are on MOQ and lead time. Send the item list and destination markets through the quote form.