BEIJING—Makers of Irish whiskey, Belgian chocolate, and European coffee brands are scrambling to comply with the Chinese regime’s new food and beverage regulations, with many fearful their goods will be unable to enter the giant market as a Jan. 1 deadline looms. The regime’s customs authority published new food safety rules in April stipulating that all food manufacturing, processing, and storage facilities abroad need to be registered by year-end for their goods to access the Chinese market. But detailed procedures explaining how to get the required registration codes were only issued in October, and a website for companies allowed to self-register went online in November. “We’re heading for major disruptions after Jan. 1,” said a Beijing-based diplomat from a European country who is assisting food producers with the new measures. China’s food imports have surged in recent years amid growing demand from a huge middle class. The imports were worth …