Abstract: Through case study and practical investigation,this paper discusses the overall presentation of the boundary and relationship between food label institution and informal institution.The boundary between a dominant formal institution and a hidden informal one is not static,and an informal one may be transformed into a formal one provided that it is fully based on indigenous cultural characteristics.Between the two is not simply a relationship existence,but an overall presentation of complex relationship.On the one hand,the formal institution excludes the informal one,squeezing the space for informal institutional practice and impacting local knowledge;on the other hand,informal institutional practice protects small-scale producers,maintains local knowledge and builds other trust systems that are different from those of the mainstream,making up consumer expectations that the formal system can not achieve.

Key words: formal institution, informal institution, food labeling institution, conflict, integration