China Unveils the New GB Standards for Dairy Products

GB 13102-2022 Condensed Dairy Products adds the technical requirements for condensed milk for food industrial use as well as low-fat and skimmed condensed milk products. The amendment makes up the regulation vacancy of those novel products. Compared with the current standard (GB 25192-2010), the minimum cheese level for processed cheese increases from 15% to 50%. Besides, a new category named “cheese product” is included, whose cheese content ranged from 15% to 50%.

On July 28, 2022, National Health Commission (NHC) and State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) released GB 13102-2022 National Food Safety Standard Condensed Dairy Products and GB 25192-2022 National Food Safety Standard Processed Cheese and Cheese Products. Both will be implemented starting from Dec. 30, 2022.

The key revisions of these two standards are listed below:

GB 13102-2022 National Food Safety Standard Condensed Dairy Products

The requirements for “condensed milk for food industrial use” are added

Condensed milk for food industrial use refers to the product obtained by partial removal of water from raw cow/goat milk, skimmed or full fat, and only for food industrial use. It is a new ingredient in dairy industry. (Read more in A Substitute for Raw Milk: Regulatory Supervision and Prospect Forecast of Concentrated Milk for Industrial Use in China)

The latest amendment of GB 13102-2022 covers its technical requirements, including the physicochemical indicators, storage requirements and labeling requirements. For example, “heat treatment technique” or “non-heat treatment technique” should be clearly indicated on the label or in the specification of condensed milk for food industrial use.

The new standard covers the requirements for skimmed products

Seeing the increasing emergence of low-fat and skimmed condensed milk products on the market, the competent authorities added the physicochemical indicators of partially-skimmed and skimmed condensed milk as well as partially-skimmed and skimmed modified condensed milk in the GB standard. For instance, the minimum level of non-fat milk solid is set at 17.5 g/100g for partially-skimmed evaporated milk.

Products’ technical requirements are optimized

Compared with the current GB 13102-2010, the indicators of some components are adjusted for condensed milk products, including fat and moisture.

Others

The product definitions are optimized.

GB 25192-2022 National Food Safety Standard Processed Cheese and Cheese Products

The new standard details the classification of cheese products

The competent authorities made further classification to products whose cheese content is over 15%. If the product is made from cheese and the cheese content is over 50%, then it can be called “processed cheese”. However, if the cheese content ranges from 15% to 50%, it is belong to “cheese product”.

Notes: In the current GB 25192-2010, the minimum cheese content for processed cheese is 15%.

The microorganism limit is adjusted

The pathogen (staphylococcus aureuslimits, salmonella, and listeria monocytogenes) should refer to GB 29921.

The maximum level of yeast is deleted in the new standard.

The labeling requirements are specified

The following information should be clearly indicated on the package:

The proportion of cheese used in the final products.
The category of product, i.e., “processed cheese” or “cheese product”.
Temperature for transportation and storage.