Upcoming New Standard for Food Additives in China
11 July 2024 | Xiangwen He, Senior Regulatory Advisor
In China, food additives are regulated under GB 2760 National Food Safety Standard for Uses of Food Additives. The current Standard in force is GB 2760-2014. A newly updated Standard GB 2760-2024 was jointly published by the National Health Commission (NHC) and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) on 8 February 2024, and will replace GB 2760-2014 a year later (8 February 2025).
The NHC is responsible for reviewing the safety of food additives and publishing announcements from time to time for newly approved food additives or revised application scopes of previously approved additives. Food additives included in announcements from 2015 No.1 to 2023 No.5 have been consolidated in this new GB 2760-2024.
Key amendments included in the new GB 2760-2024 National Food Safety Standard on Uses of Food Additives
There are some key amendments made in the new Standard. These are as follows:
- The definition of food additive has been changed to include nutritional fortification substances. The uses of nutritional fortification substances shall comply with GB 14880 National Food Safety Standard on Uses of Nutritional Fortification Substances.
- Table A.2 ‘list of additives permitted for use in various kinds of food in accordance with GMP’ has been consolidated into Table A.1 ‘list of additives permitted for use in food categories with maximum level or residue level’. This change makes it easier for food business operators (FBOs) to check permissibility of food additives in food.
- Certain food additives’ applications have been revised, for example, the usage of beta-carotene in distilled spirits has been deleted; the total amount of aspartame, acesulfame potassium and aspartame-acesulfame salt when used together in the same food category has been specified.
- The definition of food flavouring has been revised and certain food flavourings’ names in both Chinese and English and their FEMAs have been revised. For food additives that have other technical functions as well as flavouring function, they must be processed to food flavour forms, if used as flavours.
- The names and application scopes of certain processing aids have been revised, for example, hydrogen peroxide has been removed from Table C.1 ‘list of processing aids that can be used in all kinds of food without restriction’ to Table C.2 ‘list of processing aids that require defining functions and usage scopes’ and its application is limited to processing of starch sugar and starch, oil, seaweed, collagen casing, whey powder and whey protein powder.
- Certain food categories have been revised, for example, meat ball category has been added in the system.
There are more changes in the new Standard – FBOs who export to China need to read the Standard thoroughly and be fully aware of these changes and ensure that their food products comply with the new Standard. If you would like a composition compliance check for your products for China, please get in touch with the Regulatory Affairs Team.
About Xiangwen He
Xiangwen joined the Information Service team at Campden BRI in 2007 and moved to the International Regulatory Affairs team in 2015. Xiangwen has food safety regulatory expertise in numerous Asian markets (including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, India, Singapore and Malaysia) and some Southern African countries (Botswana, Zambia, Mauritius, Zimbabwe). She offers various services including food products compliance check, label review and regulatory training courses, and more.
Need advice?
For a composition compliance check for your products for China, get in touch with the Regulatory Affairs Team.
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