China Tightens Its Supervision of Food Additives
China’s Ministry of Health has issued new regulations, effective April 22, 2010, which set more stringent requirements on the use and the approval of food additives.
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Highlights of New Restrictions on Use of Food Additives
The regulations set the following new restrictions on the use of food additives:
Prohibited uses. Under the new regulations, food additives may not be used to:
- mislead consumers - The regulations forbid the use of food additives to mislead consumers about the content and quality of food or to fake food content.
- disguise decay, bad quality - Using food additives to disguise decaying and bad quality food is also forbidden.
Minimum necessary use. Food producers are required to use the minimum amount of necessary food additives.
Cannot reduce nutritional content. Food producers are not allowed to use food additives that would reduce the nutritional value of food.
New additives must be approved. The Ministry of Health will have to approve new food additives, only if they are proved to be necessary in food production and safe for humans in tests organized by the ministry.
Ministry reassessments. In addition, the Ministry of Health must conduct reassessments of the safety of its approved food additives, when their necessity and safety are questioned by new research results.
New Regulations Motivated by Melamine-Tainted Milk, Other Problems
According to the press release, food quality in China has been a major concern after a series of scandals, including the following:
- In 2008, six babies died and 300,000 others fell ill after being fed with baby formula made from milk contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine.
- In November 2006, China’s food safety authorities found seven companies producing salted red-yolk eggs with cancer-causing red Sudan dyes to make their eggs look redder and fresher.
- In 2004, at least 13 babies died from malnutrition in the east China's Anhui Province and another 171 were hospitalized, after consuming infant milk powder that contained too little protein.
(See ITT’s Online Archives or 09/04/09 news, (Ref: 09090425), for BP summary of China’s reminder on labeling and instruction requirements for imported food additives.
See ITT’s Online Archives or 05/27/09 news, (Ref: 09052715), for BP summary of China’s first regulation implementing its Food Safety Law which discussed imported food additives.)
GOV.cn press release (dated 04/23/10) available at http://english.gov.cn/2010-04/23/content_1590138.htm