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On September 25, 2023, National Health Commission (NHC) and State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) jointly released No. 6 announcement, enacting 85 new national food safety standards and 3 amendment lists to existing ones. Of the new standards, 3 pertain to food products, 5 to food manufacturing and operations, 6 to food contact materials and articles, 55 to testing methods and 16 to specification of food additives and nutrition fortification substances. These standards will come into force in 2024. Please click here for the list of the standards and corresponding implementation date. The complete standard texts are also available at National Food Safety Standards Data Platform.
Key Changes in Select New/Revised Standards
Food contact materials and articles
GB 4806.7-2023 Plastic Materials and Articles for Food Contact Use
GB 4806.7-2023 consolidates the former GB 4806.6-2016 on plastic resins and GB 4806.7-2016 on plastics materials into one standard. Thus, it outlines permitted plastic resins for food contact and corresponding usage requirements, with updates based on recent risk assessments.
The new standard clarifies the requirements for starch-based plastic. The starch should be edible starch per GB 31637 or modified starch whose species are permitted in GB 2760 or relevant announcements.
In addition, it adds the migration limits of primary aromatic amines for plastic products and articles containing aromatic isocyanates, azo colorants and other substances that may generate aromatic primary amines.
GB 4806.9-2023 Metallic Materials and Articles for Food Contact Use
The new standard adds the terms and definitions of alloying element and impurity element. It details the ingredient requirements of metallic materials and specifies the maximum level of impurity elements in metal substrate and metal coating. Lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, antimony, beryllium, lithium are prohibited as alloying elements in metal substrate or metal coating.
Moreover, the migration limits for impurity and alloying elements are updated. When there are multiple metal coatings, the metal composition should be indicated, but the indication order is changed to “innermost to outermost” rather than vice versa.
GB 4806.11-2023 Rubber Materials and Articles for Food Contact Use
Silicone rubber is now excluded from this standard due to material differences from rubber. Apart from that, primary aromatic amines, N-nitrosamine and substances which can produce N-nitrosamine cannot be detected in rubber.
The new standard also details the requirements for food simulant and the testing times for potassium permanganate consumption test. Besides, the lists of permitted basic rubber ingredients and corresponding usage conditions also updated.
GB 4806.14-2023 Printing Inks for Food Contact Materials and Articles
GB 4806.14-2023 is a newly drafted standard, which covers product classification, basic requirements, technical requirements and labeling of food contact inks.
Inks are classified for direct or non-direct food contact. Different requirements apply to base materials and additives based on the intended use. For example, additives for direct contact inks must comply with GB 2760 and related notices. Non-direct inks should be referred to GB 9685 and associated notices.
GB 4806.13-2023 Composite Materials and Articles for Food Contact Use
This standard replaces GB 9683-1988 Hygienic Standard for Composite Laminated Food Packaging Bag. It expands the application scope to all composite materials and article for food contact use. As multiple materials may involve in the composite materials, the new standard does not specify the detailed technical indicators but clarifies the principle that the materials used should comply the national food safety standards of the corresponding materials.
Strains
GB 31639-2023 National Food Safety Standard Strain Preparations Used in Food Processing
This newly drafted standard specifies the application scope, terms and definition, ingredients, sensory requirements, contaminant limits, microorganism level and labeling of strains preparation. It should be noted that strains preparation in this standard refers to strains which are used for food fermentation or serve as raw materials. It does not include ready-to-eat microbial preparation products (final products), traditional fermented wines or yeast for food like yeasts for wine, red yeast rice, etc.
The ingredients for strains preparation include the strains and other raw materials. The strains should be included in the positive lists issued by the competent authorities, such as Bacterial Cultures Permitted in Food and Bacterial Cultures Permitted in Baby Food.
It will replace GB 31639-2016 Yeast Used for Food Processing upon the implementation of the new standard.
Plant Protein Hydrolysates
GB 31611-2023 National Food Safety Standard Plant Protein Hydrolysates Used in Food Processing
This standard is developed for the first time, which applies to plant protein hydrolysates used in food processing but not for products for direct consumption. GB 31611-2023 provides a basis for regulating the production of raw peptide materials from plant proteins in the food industry, and helps promote development of China's plant protein peptide industry.
Please check ChemLinked Regulatory Database for the details of these 85 new standards and amendment lists.
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