China Approves 50 National Food Safety Standards and 4 Amendments, Cheese, Infant Formula and Maximum Levels of Contaminants Involved

As revealed by an NHC notice¹ released on March 18, 2021, China released 50 national food safety standards and 4 amendments, involving standards for cheese, food additives, maximum levels of contaminants, test methods for food contact material and also the heavily watched GB standards for infant formula. (The whole list is attached in the end of this article.)

Major Changes of Some Key Standards

• Infant formula (GB 10765-2021, GB 10766-2021 and GB 10767-2021)

Systematic adjustments have been made to revise infant formula standards this time, which are expected to bring about an escalation of the overall product quality and will raise the threshold of this industry. E.g., the revisions of the protein content in stage 2 formula will demand a redesign of formula recipes.

For detailed changes of infant formula standards, check ChemLinked’s interpretation here.

• GB 5420-2021 Cheese

The biggest highlight of the revision was the deletion of yeast and mold limits. In addition, the limit of pathogenic bacteria specified in the 2010 version (namely, staphylococcus aureus, salmonella and listeria monocytogenes) were deleted as well. Instead, requirements specified in GB 29921 Maximum Levels of Pathogenic Bacteria in Foods need to be followed. Industrial insiders point out that the implementation of the new cheese standard will expand the cheese imports to more types and will enrich the market supply. 

Other changes mainly include the revision of definitions, the addition of the requirements and conditions for the claim of hardness and fat content, etc.

• Amendment No. 1 of GB 2762 Maximum Levels of Contaminants in Foods

Major revisions include the addition of lead limit in spirulina and its products, the addition of contaminant limits for foods for special medical purpose, complementary food supplements, sports nutrition and nutrient supplementary foods for pregnant and lactating women, etc.

Attachment: a list of the 50 standards and 4 amendments

1. GB 5420-2021 Cheese

2. GB 10765-2021 Infant formula

3. GB 10766-2021 Older infant formula

4. GB 10767-2021 Young children formula

5. GB 1886.1-2021 Food additive Sodium carbonate

6. GB 1886.3-2021 Food additive Calcium hydrophosphate

7. GB 1886.302-2021 Food additive Polyethylene glycol

8. GB 1886.303-2021 Food additive Food-tannic acid

9. GB 1886.315-2021 Food additive Carmine cochineal and carmine cochineal aluminum lake

10. GB 1886.316-2021 Food additive Annatto extract

11. GB 1886.317-2021 Food additive β-carotene (sourced from Dunaliella salina)

12. GB 1886.318-2021 Food additive Corn yellow

13. GB 1886.319-2021 Food additive Hippophae rhamnoides yellow

14. GB 1886.320-2021 Food additive Sodium gluconate

15. GB 1886.321-2021 Food additive Thaumatin

16. GB 1886.322-2021 Food additive Soluble soybean polysaccharide

17. GB 1886.323-2021 Food additive Peanut skin red

18. GB 1886.324-2021 Food additive Metatartaric acid

19. GB 1886.325-2021 Food additive Potassium polymetaphosphate

20. GB 1886.326-2021 Food additive Calcium acid pyrophosphate

21. GB 1886.327-2021 Food additive Tripotassium orthophosphate

22. GB 1886.328-2021 Food additive Disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate

23. GB 1886.329-2021 Food additive Sodium phosphatedibasic

24. GB 1886.330-2021 Food additive Ammouium dihydrogen phosphate

25. GB 1886.331-2021 Food additive Diammonium hydrogen phosphate

26. GB 1886.332-2021 Food additive Tricalcium orthophosphate

27. GB 1886.333-2021 Food additive Calcium dihydrogen phosphate

28. GB 1886.334-2021 Dipotassium hydrogen phosphate

29. GB 1886.335-2021 Food additive Sodium tripolyphosphate

30. GB 1886.336-2021 Food additive Sodium dihydrogen phosphate

31. GB 1886.337-2021 Food additive Potassium dihydrogen phosphate

32. GB 1886.338-2021 Food additive Trisodium orthophosphate

33. GB 1886.339-2021 Food additive Tetrasodium pyrophosphate

34. GB 1886.340-2021 Food additive Tetrapotassium pyrophosphate

35. GB 1886.341-2021 Food additive Titanium dioxide

36. GB 1886.342-2021 Food additive Aluminium ammonium sulfate

37. GB 1886.343-2021 Food additive L-Threonine

38. GB 1886.344-2021 Food additive DL-Alanine

39. GB 1886.345-2021 Food additive Mulberry red

40. GB 1886.346-2021 Food additive Orange yellow

41. GB 1886.347-2021 Food additive 4-Amino-5,6-dimethylthieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2(1H)-one hydrochloride

42. GB 1886.348-2021 Food additive Trisodium monohydrogen diphosphate

43. GB 31651-2021 Sanitary standards of tableware centralized disinfection

44. GB 31652-2021 Hygienic specification on processing of ready-to-eat fresh-cut vegetables and fruits

45. GB 31653-2021 Code of practice for the prevention and reduction of aflatoxin contamination in food

46. GB 31654-2021 General hygienic specifications of food service

47. GB 12456-2021 Determination of total acid in foods

48. GB 31604.51-2021 Food contact materials and articles Determination of migration amount of Butane-1,4-diol

49. GB 31604.52-2021 Food contact materials and articles Determination of migration amount of primary aromatic amines

50. GB 31655-2021 In vivo mammalian alkaline comet assay

51. Amendment No. 1 of GB 1886.47-2016 Food additives Aspartyl phenylalanine methyl ester (aka Aspartame)

52. Amendment No. 1 of GB 1886.103-2015 Food additive Microcrystalline cellulose

53. Amendment No. 1 of GB 1886.169-2016 Food additive Carrageenan

54. Amendment No. 1 of GB 2762-2017 Maximum levels of contaminants in foods

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