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On July 28, 2022, China’s National Health Commission (NHC) approved 36 national food safety standards and 3 amendments, involving standards for food additives, food contact materials, beverages, concentrated milk products, cheese, etc. What particularly worth mentioning is the heavily watched GB standards for contaminants, which will come into effect on June 30, 2023. The whole list of the approved standards can be read at "China Unveils 36 New National Food Safety Standards and 3 Amendments”.
Below are the major revisions to GB 2762-2022 National Food Safety Standard Maximum Levels of Contaminants in Foods, compared to GB 2762-2017.
Major Revisions
The application principle for dried foods is optimized.
Point 3.5 of this standard denotes that the principle is applicable for dried meat products, dried aquatic products, and dried edible fungi. In addition, it newly adds the principle that "If the contaminant level of the dried product is lower than the limit level of its fresh raw materials, then it can be recognized as satisfying the limit requirement.”
The maximum level for lead in some foods is revised.
The revision covers the following food categories: grains and products thereof, vegetables and products thereof, fruits and products thereof, edible fungi and products thereof, beans and products thereof, algae and products thereof, nuts and seeds, meat and products thereof, aquatic animals and products thereof, dairy and products thereof, egg and egg products, fat & oil and products thereof, condiment, beverage, foods for special dietary use (involving infant formula and complementary infant food) and others.
The revised items include the division of subcategories and the lead limit (most revisions belong to the later one). For example, the lead limit in powdered infant formula is changed from “0.15 mg/kg (calculated as products in solid form)” to “0.08 mg/kg (calculated as products in solid form)”.
The maximum level for cadmium in some foods is revised.
The revision covers edible fungi and products thereof, meat and products thereof, as well as aquatic animals and products thereof.
The maximum level for mercury in some foods is amended.
The revision involves aquatic animals and products thereof, as well as edible fungi and products thereof.
The maximum level for arsenic in some foods is amended.
The revision covers grains and products thereof, edible fungi and products thereof, modified milk powder, fat & oil and products thereof, as well as condiments.
The chromium limit in modified milk powder is detailed, which is 2.0 mg/kg.
A note for liquid infant formula is added.
When calculating the maximum level of nitrite and nitrate in liquid infant formula, the maximum level in liquid infant formula shall be one-eighth of the limits in powdered infant formula.
The maximum level of benzo[a]pyrene in certain foods is revised.
The limit of benzo[a]pyrene in grains and products thereof is changed from 5.0 μg/kg to 2.0 μg/kg. The maximum level of benzo[a]pyrene in some dairy products is newly added, which is 10 μg/kg.
The maximum level of polychlorinated biphenyls in certain foods is revised.
The limit of polychlorinated biphenyls in aquatic animals and products thereof is changed from 0.5 mg/kg to 20 μg/kg. The maximum level of polychlorinated biphenyls in fat & oil and products thereof is newly added, which is 200 μg/kg.
The test method for prepackaged drinking water is revised.
It is clarified that the contaminant level in prepackaged drinking water shall be determined as per GB 8538 National Food Safety Standard Determination of Natural Mineral Water for Drinking.
Descriptions of food categories in Annex A are revised.
Annex A deleted some food categories such as fermented vegetable products, etc. At the same time, categories like dried fruit, concentrated milk products, etc. are added.
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