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Editor's Note: This article tracks and collects the updates on China novel food raw materials in 2024. Previous contents can be seen at the bottom of the article.
Permitted food raw materials in China can be divided into two types: conventional food raw materials and new food raw materials approved by National Health Commission (NHC). This article tracks and collects the updates on China novel food raw materials in 2024, including newly approved and newly proposed ones.
On December 13, 2024, China National Health Commission (NHC) approved camellia petelotii culture. Details are as follows:
Name | Basic information | Quality requirement | Recommended consumption amount | Notes |
Camellia petelotii culture | Source: Camelliapetelotii (Merrill) Sealy (Formerly known as Camelliachrysantha (Hu) Tuyama) | Appearance: Brown or brownish-yellow powder or granules Total Flavonoids: ≥ 4.0 g/100 g Tea Polyphenols: ≥ 6.0 g/100 g Moisture Content: ≤ 10.0 g/100 g Ash Content: ≤ 10.0 g/100 g | ≤1.5 g/day | 1. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 2. Food safety indicators must meet the following requirements: Total Mercury (Hg), mg/kg ≤ 0.1 Total Arsenic (As), mg/kg ≤ 0.3 Total Plate Count, CFU/g ≤ 30,000 Coliforms, MPN/g ≤ 0.92 Molds and Yeasts, CFU/g ≤ 50 Salmonella, /25 g: Not detected Staphylococcus aureus, /25 g: Not detected Plant Growth Regulators, mg/kg ≤ 0.05 |
On October 24, 2024, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) consulted on two novel food raw materials, including Sakura polyphenols and Rooster comb sodium hyaluronate. Any comments can be submitted to [email protected] before November 23, 2024. Details are as follows:
Name | Basic information | Quality requirement | Recommended consumption amount | Notes |
Sakura polyphenols | Source: Cerasusserrulata var. lannesiana (Carr.) Makino | / | ≤350 mg/day (calculated based on a polyphenol content of 12 g/100 g; amounts exceeding this should be calculated based on the actual content) | 1. Scope of use and maximum usage: Dairy and dairy products (0.4 g/kg for reconstituted milk and flavored fermented milk, reconstituted milk powder calculated based on the mass of the liquid after reconstitution), beverages (0.4 g/kg for liquid beverages, solid beverages calculated based on the mass of the liquid after reconstitution), jellies (7 g/kg), cocoa products, chocolates, and chocolate products (including cocoa butter chocolates and products) (7 g/kg), candies (20 g/kg), frozen beverages (4 g/kg), baked goods (2 g/kg), alcoholic beverages (1.5 g/kg). 2. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 3. The quality specifications and food indicators are included in the appendix of the notice. |
Rooster comb sodium hyaluronate | Source: Gallus gallus domesticus | Characteristics: White powder Sodium hyaluronate, g/100 g 60.0-75.0 Chondroitin sulfate, g/100 g 5.0-20.0 Collagen, g/100 g 5.0-20.0 (refer to Appendix A for detection method) Moisture, g/100 g ≤10.0 Protein, g/100 g ≤8.0 pH 5.0-8.5 | ≤200 mg/day | 1. Scope of use and maximum usage: Dairy and dairy products (0.2 g/kg for reconstituted milk and flavored fermented milk, milk powder and its reconstituted products calculated based on the mass of the liquid after reconstitution), beverages (≤50 mL packaging 2 g/kg, 51-500mL packaging 0.2 g/kg, solid beverages calculated based on the mass of the liquid after reconstitution), alcoholic beverages (1 g/kg), cocoa products, chocolates, and chocolate products (including cocoa butter chocolates and products) as well as candies (3 g/kg), frozen beverages (2 g/kg). 2. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 3. Food safety indicators must meet the following requirements: Lead (Pb), mg/kg ≤0.5 Cadmium (Cd), mg/kg ≤0.5 Total mercury (Hg), mg/kg ≤0.05 Total arsenic (As), mg/kg ≤0.3 Chromium (Cr), mg/kg ≤5.0 Total bacterial count, CFU/g ≤1000 Escherichia coli, MPN/g ≤3.0 Mold and yeast, CFU/g ≤150 Salmonella, /25 g Not detected Staphylococcus aureus, /25 g Not detected Bacillus cereus, CFU/g Not detected |
On October 10, 2024, China National Health Commission (NHC) approved two new food raw materials, including Nannochloropsis gaditana oil and Procyanidins. Details are as follows:
Name | Basic information | Quality requirement | Recommended consumption amount | Notes |
Nannochloropsis gaditana oil | Source: Nannochloropsis gaditana | Characteristics: Dark green or yellow-brown to yellow thick paste or oily liquid Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (as fatty acid), g/100 g ≥ 20.0 Total fat, g/100 g ≥ 50.0 | ≤2 g/day | 1. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 2. Food safety indicators must meet the following requirements: |
Procyanidins | Source: Pinuspinaster Aiton | / | ≤150 mg/day (calculated based on a previous anthocyanin content of 50 g/100g; amounts exceeding this should be calculated based on the actual content) | 1. Scope of use and maximum usage: Dairy and dairy products (0.2 g/kg for reconstituted milk and flavored fermented milk, milk powder and its reconstituted products calculated based on the mass of the liquid after reconstitution), beverages (0.08 g/kg for liquid beverages, solid beverages calculated based on the mass of the liquid after reconstitution), jellies (1.4 g/kg). 2. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 3. The quality specifications and food safety indicators can be found in the appendix of the Notice. |
On August 28, 2024, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) consulted on three novel food raw materials, including lemon myrtle leaf, maqui Berry anthocyanins and wheat polar lipids. Any comments can be submitted to [email protected] before September 27, 2024. Details are as follows:
Name | Basic information | Quality requirement | Recommended consumption amount | Notes |
Lemon myrtle leaf | Source: Backhousia citriodora F. Muell. | / | / | 1. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 2. Food safety indicators must meet the following requirements: Lead (Pb), mg/kg ≤ 1.0; Cadmium (Cd), mg/kg ≤ 0.5; Total Arsenic (As), mg/kg ≤ 0.5. |
Maqui Berry anthocyanins | Source: Aristotelia chilensis | / | 900 mg/day (calculated as a total flavonoid content of 35 g/100 g; amounts exceeding this should be converted based on actual content) | 1. Daily usage and maximum usage: For milk and dairy products (0.8 g/kg in reconstituted milk and flavored fermented milk, and for milk powder and reconstituted milk powder based on the mass of the liquid after reconstitution), beverages (0.8 g/kg in liquid beverages, and for solid beverages based on the mass of the liquid after reconstitution), jellies, cocoa products, chocolates, and chocolate products (including cocoa butter chocolates and products) (14 g/kg), candies (40 g/kg), frozen drinks (8 g/kg), baked goods (4 g/kg), and alcoholic beverages (4 g/kg). 2. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 3. The quality specifications and food indicators are included in the appendix of the notice. |
Wheat polar lipids | / | / | ≤30 mg/day (calculated as digalactosyl glycerol content of 40 g/100 g; amounts exceeding this should be converted based on actual content) | 1. Usage scope and maximum usage levels: Beverages (liquid beverages 0.1 g/kg; solid beverages calculated based on the liquid mass after preparation) 2. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 3. The quality specifications and food indicators are included in the appendix of the notice. |
On August 5, 2024, China National Health Commission approved three new food raw materials, including Arabinoxylan, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis M-63 and N-acetylglucosamine. Details are as follows:
Name | Basic information | Quality requirement | Recommended consumption amount | Notes |
Arabinoxylan | CAS number: 9040-27-1 | / | ≤15 g/day (calculated as an arabinoxylan content of 85 g/100 g; amounts exceeding this content are converted according to the actual content) | 1. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 2. Quality specification and food safety indicators are included in the appendix of the notice. |
Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis M-63 | / | / | / | 1. It is approved to be listed in Bacterial Cultures Permitted in Baby Foods. 2. Food safety indicators shall comply with GB 31639-2023 and Cronobacter species must not be detected (/100 g). |
N-acetylglucosamine | CAS number: 7512-17-6; Formula: C8H15NO6; Molecular mass: 221.21 | / | ≤500 mg/day (calculated on a dry basis) | 1. Usage scope and maximum usage levels: Milk and dairy products (0.5 g/kg for modified milk and flavored fermented milk; for milk powder and its modified products, convert based on the liquid mass after preparation), beverages (0.5 g/kg for liquid beverages; for solid beverages, convert based on the liquid mass after preparation), jelly (3 g/kg), candy (10 g/kg), pastries (2 g/kg). 2. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 3. Quality specification and food safety indicators are included in the appendix of the notice. |
On July 16, 2024, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) consulted on Camellia petelotii Culture as a novel food raw material. Any comments can be submitted to [email protected] before August 15, 2024. Details are as follows:
Name | Basic information | Quality requirement | Recommended consumption amount | Notes |
Camellia petelotii Culture | Source: Camellia petelotii (Merrill) Sealy | / | ≤1.5 g/day | 1. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 2. Quality specification and food safety indicators are included in the appendix of the notice. |
On June 14, 2024, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) consulted on stevia leaf polyphenols as a novel food raw material. Any comments can be submitted to [email protected] before July 14, 2024. Details are as follows:
Name | Basic information | Quality requirement | Recommended consumption amount | Notes |
Stevia leaf polyphenols | Source: Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni | / | ≤500 mg/day (calculated as total polyphenols) | 1. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 2. Quality specification and food safety indicators are included in the appendix of the notice. |
On April 28, 2024, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) consulted on three novel food raw materials, including nannochloropsis oil, egg yolk phospholipid and protein, and rye pollen. Any comments can be submitted to [email protected] before May 28, 2024. Details are as follows:
Name | Basic information | Quality requirement | Recommended consumption amount | Notes |
Nannochloropsis oil | Source: Nannochloropsis gaditana | Appearance: Dark green or yellowish-brown to yellow thick paste or oily liquid. EPA (calculated as fatty acids), g/100g: ≥20.0 Total fat, g/100 g: ≥50.0 | ≤2 g/day | 1. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 2. Food safety indicators shall comply with the followings: Peroxide value, mmol/kg: ≤5.0 Moisture and volatiles, g/100 g: ≤3.0 Trans fatty acids, g/100 g: ≤1.0 Aflatoxin B1, µg/kg: ≤5.0 Benzo[a]pyrene, µg/kg: ≤10.0 Polychlorinated biphenyls, µg/kg: ≤160 Lead (Pb), mg/kg: ≤0.08 Inorganic arsenic (As), mg/kg: ≤0.1 |
Egg yolk phospholipid and protein | Source: Egg yolk powder | / | ≤5 g/day | 1. The scope of use does not include infant food, and the label and instructions should indicate the consumption limit. 2. Quality specification and food safety indicators are included in the appendix of the notice. |
Rye pollen | / | / | / | It is proposed that the dietary fiber content requirement in the Announcement No. 3 of 2023 be revised to ≥30% |
On March 13, 2024, China National Health Commission approved six new food raw materials, including Dendrobium protocorm, Meso-zeaxanthin, Pichia kluyveri, Bacillus subtilis DE111, L-alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine and Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides. Details are as follows:
Name | Basic information | Quality requirement | Recommended consumption amount | Notes |
Dendrobium protocorm | Source: Dendrobiumof icinale Kimura et Migo or Dendrobium huoshanense C. Z. Tang et S. J. Cheng | / | Dried products ≤ 3.5 g/day | 1. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 2. Food safety indicators shall comply with the followings: Lead (Pb), mg/kg ≤ 1.0; Total Mercury (Hg), mg/kg ≤ 0.1; Total Arsenic (As), mg/kg ≤ 0.3; Total Plate Count, CFU/g ≤ 30,000; Coliforms, MPN/g ≤ 0.92; Molds and Yeasts, CFU/g ≤ 50; Salmonella, /25 g 0; Staphylococcus aureus, /25 g 0; Plant Growth Regulators, mg/kg ≤ 0.05. |
Meso-zeaxanthin | Source: Tagetes erecta L.; CAS number: 31272-50-1; Formula: C40H56O2; Molecular mass: 568.88 | Appearance: Orange-red powder; (3R,3'S)-Zeaxanthin, g/100 g ≥ 54.0 (for testing methods, see Appendix A); Moisture, g/100 g ≤ 5.0. | ≤ 8 mg/day (calculated as (3R,3'S)-Zeaxanthin) | 1. The scope of use does not include infant foods. 2. The test method for hexane residue refers to GB 24405. 3. Food safety indicators shall comply with the followings: Hexane, mg/kg ≤ 10.0; Lead (Pb), mg/kg ≤ 1.0; Cadmium (Cd), mg/kg ≤ 0.5; Total Mercury (Hg), mg/kg ≤ 0.1; Total Arsenic (As), mg/kg ≤ 1.0; Benzo(a)pyrene, μg/kg ≤ 2.0; Total plate count, CFU/g ≤ 1000; Coliform bacteria, CFU/g ≤ 10; Molds, CFU/g ≤ 100; Yeasts, CFU/g ≤ 100; Salmonella, /25 g 0; Staphylococcus aureus, /25 g 0; Listeria monocytogenes, /25 g 0. |
Pichia kluyveri | / | / | / | 1. It is approved to be listed in Bacterial Cultures Permitted in Food. The scope of use includes the fermentation processing of fermented wines, fruit and vegetable juices and beverages, tea beverages, protein beverages, and plant beverages, excluding infant food. The scope of use should be marked on the labels and instructions. 2. Food safety indicators shall comply with GB 31639-2023. |
Bacillus subtilis DE111 | / | / | / | 1. It is approved to be listed in Bacterial Cultures Permitted in Food. The scope of use excludes infant foods. 2. Food safety indicators shall comply with GB 31639-2023 |
L-alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine | CAS number: 28319-77-9; Formula: C8H20NO6P; Molecular mass: 257.22 | / | ≤600 mg/day (on a dry basis) | 1. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 2. Quality specification and food safety indicators are included in the appendix of the notice. |
Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides | / | / | / | 1. It is approved to be listed in Bacterial Cultures Permitted in Food. The scope of use excludes infant foods. The scope of use includes fermented milk, flavored fermented milk, cheese, fermented milk-based beverages, lactobacillus beverages (not solid beverages), light cream, cream (butter), and anhydrous cream (anhydrous butter), excluding infant food. 2. Food safety indicators shall comply with GB 31639-2023 |
On March 1, 2024, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) consulted on three novel food raw materials, including Maritime pine bark extract, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis M-63 and N-acetylglucosamine. Any comments can be submitted to [email protected] before April 1, 2024. Details are as follows:
Name | Basic information | Quality requirement | Recommended consumption amount | Notes |
Maritime pine bark extract | Source: Pinuspinaster Aiton | Appearance: reddish-brown powder; Proanthocyanidins, g/100 g ≥50.0; Moisture, g/100 g ≤8.0; Ash, g/100 g ≤0.7. | ≤ 150 mg/day | 1. Application scope and maximum use level: Dairy and dairy products (fortified milk and flavored fermented milk 0.2 g/kg, milk powder and its preparations are calculated according to the mass of the reconstituted liquid); Beverages (liquid beverages 0.08 g/kg, solid beverages are calculated according to the mass of the reconstituted liquid); Jelly (1.4 g/kg). 2. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 3. Food safety indicators shall comply with the followings: Ethanol, mg/kg ≤ 100; Lead (Pb), mg/kg ≤ 1.0; Total Mercury (Hg), mg/kg ≤ 1.0; Total Arsenic (As), mg/kg ≤ 0.1; Aflatoxin B1, μg/kg ≤ 10; Total plate count, CFU/g ≤ 1000; Coliform bacteria, MPN/g ≤ 0.92; Molds and Yeasts, CFU/g ≤ 50; Salmonella, /25 g 0; Staphylococcus aureus, /25 g 0. |
| Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis M-63 | / | / | / | 1. It is approved to be listed in Bacterial Cultures Permitted in Baby Foods. 2. Food safety indicators shall comply with GB31639-2023, and Cronobacter spp. must not be detected (/100 g). |
| N-acetylglucosamine | CAS number: 7512-17-6; Formula: C8H15NO6; Molecular mass: 221.21 | / | ≤ 500 mg/day | 1. Application scope and maximum use level: Dairy and dairy products (modified milk and flavored fermented milk 0.5 g/kg, milk powder, and its products are calculated based on the mass of the reconstituted liquid); Beverages (liquid beverages 0.5 g/kg, solid beverages are calculated based on the mass of the reconstituted liquid); Jelly (3 g/kg); Candy (10 g/kg); Pastries (2 g/kg). 2. Infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women should avoid taking foods containing this raw material. The unsuitable group and the consumption limit should be marked on labels and instructions. 3. Quality specification and food safety indicators are included in the appendix of the notice. |
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