Global Food Regulation Highlights | January 2023

To help food business stakeholders to navigate the ever-changing regulatory landscape in the global food industry, ChemLinked presented Global Food Regulation Highlights, a monthly report which delivers major and general regulation dynamics all around the world. Find out what's new on food regulation worldwide in January of 2023 below:

China 

On January 19, 2023, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) announced to solicit public opinions on an amendment to GB 14880-2012 National Food Safety Standard—Standard for the Use of Nutritional Fortification Substances in Foods. The biggest change is the introduction of "mass food fortification" and "voluntary food fortification". Along with the introduction of the two concepts, the amendment stipulates and revises the types and usage amounts of nutritional fortification substances that are permitted to be used in the two cases. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in China:

• China MoARA Unveils Texts for Reference of 22 GB Standards on Veterinary Drugs Residue Testing in Food Including GB 31650.1-2022

• China Proposes Four New Food Raw Materials, Involving Dairy Products

• China CFSA Proposes Three New Food Contact Substances

• China Customs Rejected 156 Batches of Imported Food in December 2022

• Taiwan FDA Amends Sanitation Standard for Food Utensils, Containers and Packages

• Taiwan Amends CNS 2377 Fruit and Vegetable Juice Products (Packaged)

• Hong Kong Emphasizes the Harmful Substances in Food (Amendment) Regulation 2021 to Commence in Phases in 2023

South Korea 

On January 30, 2023, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) disclosed the exposure draft of Food Additive Code. To align with international standards, three new food additives for health functional food and six flavor enhancers are to be specified as noticed food additives in South Korea. The consultation period is set to end on March 30, 2023. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in South Korea:

• South Korea Approves the First Physically Recycled Materials for FCM

• South Korean Customs Clearance Policy Plans

• South Korea Consults on the Enforcement Rule of Imported Food Act

• South Korea to Prohibit the Claims of Traditional Medicine or CBD on Foods

• South Korea Modifies the Utensils, Containers and Packages Code

• South Korea Releases the Third Batch of Recommended Use-by Date of Foods

Japan 

On January 19, 2023, Japan released an amendment to the Enforcement Regulation of the Food Sanitation Act. The amendment newly includes 16 types of foods exempted from sealed packaged food manufacture permit. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in Japan:

• Japan Publicly Solicits Opinions on the Evaluation of Five Substances

• Japan Proposes to Revise the Residue Limits of Seven Pesticides and Veterinary Drugs in Food

• Japan Updates the List of Countries Whose Sanitary Certificates are Acceptable

Southeast Asia  

On January 19, 2023, Philippines FDA unveiled the draft of Revised Guidelines on Food Additives and Processing Aids, Repealing Administrative Order 88-A s. 1984. The draft was formulated as a replacement of existing Philippines regulations on food additives and processing aids, and shall apply to all manufacturers, distributors (importer, exporter, wholesaler), and traders of food products. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in Southeast Asia:

• Singapore Introduces Industry Standard to Guide Sales of Food Products on Online Platforms to Ensure Food Safety

• SFA Recalls Various Dairy Products from France due to Possible Presence of Listeria Monocytogenes

• Philippines Drafts Guidelines on the Adoption of 2015 Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes (PDRI) for Declaration of Nutrition Information on the Labels

India 

On January 12, 2023, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) First Amendment Regulations, 2023. The amendment mainly involves the identity standards for Basmati Rice. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in India:

• India Issues a Direction Regarding Re-Operationalisation of Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Amendment Regulations 2022

• India Has Decided to Grant Instant Renewal of License/Registration Applied by the FBO Under Specific Conditions

• India Mandates that the Import of High-Risk Food Products Shall Be Permitted through Specific Ports

• FSSAI Requires Relevant FBOs to Check the Labels Regarding Misleading Products in the Market in the Same Name of Ghee/Butter

• India Requires Importers/Manufacturers of Edible Oil to Declare the Commodity's Net Quantity Without Mentioning Temperature, the Timeline for which is Extended for Six Months

EU 

EU revised Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 on maximum residue levels of pesticides in or on food and feed of plant and animal origin, including the amendment to maximum residue levels for DDT, oxathiapiprolin, benalaxyl, bromoxynil, chlorsulfuron, epoxiconazole, fenamiphos, etc. in or on certain products. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in EU:

• Amending Directive 2009/32/EC on 2-methyloxolane as a Food Extraction Solvent

• Amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 and Authorising the Following Substances as Novel Foods: Vitamin D2 Mushroom Powder, Lacto-N-tetraose produced by derivative strains of Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), pea and rice protein fermented by Lentinula edodes (Shiitake mushroom) mycelia, etc.

• Authorising Certain Products and Substances for Use in Organic Production and Establishing Their Lists

• Corrigendum to the Catalogue of Feed Materials

• WTO Notification: Draft Commission Regulation Amending Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, as regards changes to substance authorizations and addition of new substances

America 

Early in September 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed to amend the Color Additives Regulation to expand the safe use of calcium carbonate in dietary supplement tablets and capsules. On January 24, 2023, FDA issued another notice confirming that the effective date of the rule is October 28, 2022. In addition, FDA reopened the comment period on increased fees for color additives certification services. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in America:

• U.S. Revises the Residue Limits for Two Substances in a Variety of Food Products

• U.S. Adjusts the Maximum Penalty for Violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Labeling Act

• U.S. Plans to Expand the Number of Species Included the Seafood Import Monitoring Program

• U.S. Proposes to Revise the Requirements for Importation of Live Swine (From Certain Regions), Pork, and Pork Products

• U.S. FDA Updates Generally Recognized as Safe Notice Inventory

Canada 

In January of 2023, Health Canada proposed maximum residue limits (MRLs) for five pesticides in multiple food products. They were Sodium Acifluorfen, Spiropidion, Methomyl, Fluopyram and Clethodim. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in Canada:

• Canada Proposes a MAC of 0.006 mg/L (6 μg/L) for Antimony, a MAC of 0.29 mg/L (290 μg/L) for Malathion in Drinking Water

Australia and New Zealand 

On January 16, 2023, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) unveiled the proposed amendment to Food Standards Code, which requires the indication of energy content information on beverage containing alcohol. This requirement applies to standardized alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine as well as non-standardized alcoholic beverages containing no less than 0.5% alcohol (by volume). Any comments should be sent back prior to February 27, 2023.

Currently, alcoholic beverages are not required to be labelled with average energy content information in a nutrition information panel (NIP) unless a nutrition content or health claim is made. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in Australia and New Zealand:

• FSANZ Accepts the Application of Using Xylanase from GM Trichoderma Reesei as a Processing Aid in Starch Processing and the Production of Potable Alcohol

• FSANZ Proposes to Revise the Regulatory Requirements of Formulated Supplementary Sports Food Products

To ensure the timely responding to the regulation changes and updates, also to avoid the negative impact on food market access and business operation, it is highly recommended to contact us for customized risk alert & monitoring report service, which allows you to track the regulation dynamics for the certain food categories and certain markets. You may click the sample of regulatory monitoring report for more details.