Food and beverage brands in China file across four classes: 29 for meat and prepared foods, 30 for coffee, tea and bakery, 32 for beers and soft drinks, and 33 for alcohol. The class choice depends on the product, and the name faces stricter distinctiveness checks than most sellers expect.
Which class holds your product
- Class 29: meat, fish, dairy, canned and prepared foods
- Class 30: coffee, tea, sugar, bakery and convenience foods
- Class 32: beers, water, juices and soft drinks
- Class 33: wine, spirits and other alcohol
A snack brand can genuinely span 29 and 30, and a drink brand can sit between 32 and 33. Filing the wrong one means your enforcement covers the wrong products.
Why food names get refused
Generic food words are the trap. “Crispy” or “Natural” on their own are descriptive and hard to register. A distinctive invented name files cleanly; a descriptive one needs evidence of use. The refusal guide explains the options if it happens.
Beyond the mark
Where the lines blur
Food and drink is the category where the class decision most often goes wrong, because the same brand can sit in three classes with no change to the recipe.
| Product | Class | The trap |
|---|---|---|
| Nut butter, dried fruit, prepared meals | 29 | Sits next to 30 for anything baked or grain based. |
| Coffee, tea, bakery, confectionery | 30 | Coffee beans and coffee drinks in a cafe split between 30 and 43. |
| Beer, water, soft drinks | 32 | Adjacent to 33, and the line follows alcohol content, not branding. |
| Spirits, wine | 33 | Low-alcohol and alcohol-free versions can fall back into 32. |
The rule we apply is to classify by what leaves the factory, not by how the product is sold. A cafe that roasts and sells beans needs class 30 for the beans and class 43 for the service. Filing one and not the other leaves half the business unprotected.
Food brands also lean on packaging, and a packaging design patent protects the box that makes the product recognizable. The design patent service covers the image work. Tell us your product line and we will map the classes before you pay anything.
Official references: CNIPA for the register and fee schedule.
