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Editor's Note: This article was originally published in March 2024 to introduce the draft of China's 2024 food GB standard legislation plan, and was updated on July 30, 2024 to introduce the finalized version.
On July 29, 2024, China National Health Commission (NHC) issued the finalized version of the national food safety standard legislation plan for 2024. The plan includes 35 food standards. Compared to the draft version, two standards for food additives—gellan gum and nickel—have been newly added. Additionally, one standard from the draft plan, concerning the determination of theanine in tea leaves in food, has been removed in the final version. The legislative bodies will now proceed with the legislation work for the listed food standards.
On March 26, 2024, China National Health Commission (NHC) issued the draft of national food safety standard legislation plan for 2024 (hereafter as the Plan). 34 food standards are listed in the Plan, covering food products, food additives, food nutritional fortifiers, testing and determination method, as well as food business operation. Among them, 14 are new standards to be formulated, while the rest 20 standards are existing ones with revisions. Public comments are acceptable via fax (010-68792408) before April 7.
14 new GB standards to be formulated
2 for food products |
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1 for radioactive testing |
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6 for physicochemical indicator testing |
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1 for food business operation |
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4 for food nutritional fortifiers |
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Among the new GB standards, the one for precooked meals has caught the industry's attention. The pre-cooked food market in China, as an emerging sector, has been experiencing rapid growth due to centralized production, convenient heating process, and consistent flavor. These characteristics make pre-cooked food particularly suitable for the fast-paced urban lifestyle and the rapidly expanding restaurant industry. However, the lack of unified regulations has raised various concerns among consumers, leading to consumers' impression such as "unhealthy" or "nutritionally deficient" being associated with precooked meals.
Industry experts widely believe that the implementation of national standards will have a positive impact on the pre-cooked food industry, guiding it towards more standardized development. Additionally, these standards can enhance consumer awareness of pre-cooked food's safety and alleviate concerns, thereby increasing consumer acceptance of such products.
20 GB standards to be revised
3 for food products | |
12 for food additives | |
2 for microbiological examinations | |
1 for toxicological assessment | |
1 for food business operation | |
1 for food nutritional fortifier |
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