Global Food Regulation Highlights | January 2024

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 2024 below:

China

On January 19, 2024, China National Health Commission (NHC) opened four GB standards for public feedback. The national food safety standards under consultation are: a) GB 7718 General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Food; b) GB 29922 General Rules for Food for Special Medical Purposes; c) GB 22570 Complementary Food Supplements; and d) GB XXXX Nutritional Fortification Substance Vitamin K2 (Synthesis). Any comments can be sent back prior to February 29, 2024. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in Chinese Mainland:

• China's Draft Food Safety Law Mandates Recipe Registration for Liquid Infant Formula
  

• China Food Contact Materials Updates in 2024: CFSA Consulted on Four New Food-related Products

• China Proposes New Amendment to GB Standard for Restricting Overpackaging of Food, Tea and Baby Foods Involved

• China Consults on Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Food Contract Manufacturing

• China Issues Management Rules for the List of Non-Food Substances That May Be Added to Food and a Notice to Crack Down on Illegal Addition of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Their Derivatives or Analogues in Food

Regulation highlights in Taiwan, China:

• Taiwan Revises Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, Representing Tougher Stance on Food Advertising Violations

• Taiwan Proposes to Add Acceptable Physiological Functions of Selenium and Zinc to Regulations Governing of Food Advertisement Criteria

• Taiwan Establishes the Use Restrictions and Labeling Requirements of Four Food Ingredients

• Taiwan Revises Processing Standard for Food Irradiation

• Taiwan to Revise Standards for Pesticide Residue Limits in Foods

South Korea

After conducting a trial run on “Custom Health Functional Food” in 2020, South Korea has finally implemented regulatory provisions related to this new food category by amending the Health Functional Food Act on January 1, 2024, which will be effective on January 3, 2025. The Act specifies the business obligations and Custom Health Functional Food Manager's duties. The new food category aims to stimulate South Korea's health functional food industry, provide more options for consumers, and effectively control product safety. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in South Korea:

• South Korea Issues an Online Platform for Checking Use-by Date of Food Category

• South Korea to Implement Label-Free Bottled Water by 2026

• South Korea Updates Food Labeling Act to Ban Expressions Related to “Drug/Addiction/Hemp”

• South Korea Modifies the GMP Standard of Health Functional Food

• South Korea Updates Food Sanitation Act and Health Functional Food Act to Increase the Administrative Fines

• South Korea Discloses the Guideline for Establishing Maximum Residue Limits of Veterinary Drugs and Pesticides in Foods

• South Korea Publishes the Functionl Material Re-examination Plan for 2024

• South Korea Publishes the Inspection Results of the Foreign Food Facility in 2023

• South Korea Issues Imported Food Customs Inspection Plan 2024

Japan

On January 19, 2024, Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) revealed an amendment for the Ministerial Ordinance Concerning Compositional Standards, Etc. for Milk and Milk Products. The amendment aims to establish new product standards for certain dairy products that can be stored at room temperature. Stakeholders and the public have the opportunity to provide comments on the proposed changes until February 17, 2024. The revised standards are expected to come into effect in mid-March 2024. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in Japan:

• Japan Revises Japanese Agricultural Standard for Carbonated Beverage

• Japan Publicly Solicits Opinions on the Evaluation of a Food Additive (Methyl Cellulose)

Southeast Asia 

On January 5, 2024, Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled three notifications related to the nutrition labeling of prepackaged food, including:

1. Ministry of Public Health Notification (No. 445) B.E. 2023 regarding Nutrition Labels

2. Ministry of Public Health Notification (No. 446) B.E. 2023 regarding Foods Required to Display Nutrition Labels and Levels of Energy, Sugar, Fat and Sodium in GDA format (No. 2)

3. Ministry of Public Health Notification (No. 447) B.E. 2023 regarding Health Claims of Food on Labels

These notifications will enter into force on July 2, 2024, while a grace period of three years is given to food stakeholders. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in Southeast Asia:

• Thailand Updates the Nutrients Levels in Dietary Supplements

• Thailand Approves the Tax Cut on Alcoholic Beverages

• Philippines Proposes Guidelines for the Classification of Vitamins and Minerals for Food/Dietary Supplements

• Vietnam to Revise Quarantine Provisions for Imported Animal Products

• Vietnam Issues Regulations on State Inspection of the Quality of Goods Circulating in the Market

• Vietnam Solicits Industries' Feedback on Legal Documents Implementing Environmental Protection Law
  

• Malaysia’s Revision to Drug Registration Guidance Document in 2024, Affecting Health Supplement Registration

• Malaysia Consults on the Guideline on Natural Products with Modern Claim
  

• Malaysia Amends the Schedule of Food Regulations 1985, Affecting the Veterinary Drug Residue in Foods
  

• Malaysia Solicits Industries' Proposed Amendments to Commodity Standard Regulations under the Food Regulations 1985 for the Year 2024

• Singapore and Saudi Arabia Signed MoU on Recognizing Halal Certificates

European Union (EU) 

In Jan 2024, the EU issued four regulations, amending Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 on Flavourings and Certain Food Ingredients with Flavouring Properties for Use in and on Foods, and Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on Food Additive. The amendments include the deletion of flavourings, revisions on certain flavourings' use condition, changes on the descriptions of the food categories of alcoholic beverages, revisions on the use condition of many additives in certain alcoholic beverages and the authorization of trimagnesium dicitrate in solid food supplements. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in EU:

• The Legislation Progress of Greenwash Ban is a Step Forward

• EU Approves the Use of Iron Hydroxide Adipate Tartrate (Nano) in the Manufacture of Food Supplements

• EU to Amend Regulation (EU) 2023/915 on Maximum Levels for Certain Contaminants in Foods

• Questions and Answers on the Implementation of EU Rules on the De-alcoholisation of Wines

• EU Amends Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793, Affecting the Temporary Official Controls and Measures for Certain Imported Goods

• EU Amends the List of Third Countries and Permitted Animals, Germinal Products and Products of Animal Origin Thereof

• EU Amends  Implementing  Regulation  (EU)  2018/1882 Concerning Listed Diseases of Aquatic Animals and the List of Species Posing a Considerable Risk for the Spread of Those Listed Disease

• EU Amends Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 on Maximum Residue Levels of Pesticides in or on Food: a) Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/331, b) Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/246, c) Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/376, d) Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/347, e) Commission Regulation (EU) (EU) 2024/341, f) Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/342, g) Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/344, h) Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/398, and i) G/SPS/N/EU/713 (Draft).
  

United States (US)

On January 11, 2024, the FDA issued an announcement regarding a received petition aiming to modify and remove four additives. The FDA is currently seeking public opinions on the matter, and comments can be submitted until March 11, 2024. The proposed modifications aim to eliminate the use of benzene (CAS No. 71-43-2), ethylene dichloride (CAS No. 107-06-2), methylene chloride (CAS No. 75-09-2), and trichloroethylene (CAS No. 79-01-6). The petitioners argue that these substances have been identified as carcinogenic to humans or animals, and therefore, their use should be discontinued. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in America:

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

Canada 

On January 11, 2024, Health Canada issued NOM/ADM SI-007, announcing the modification to the List of Permitted Supplemental Ingredients, which lists all the supplemental ingredients permitted for addition to supplemented foods, along with their conditions of use. This modification newly permits the use of green tea extract (EGCG/catechins) as a kind of other supplemental ingredients in the list. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in Canada:

• Canada Intends to Repeal 16 Food-Related Marketing Authorizations, Including the List of Permitted Food Additives

• Canada Proposes MRLs for Tolpyralate in Agricultural Food Products

Australia and New Zealand 

On January 19, 2024, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) released Amendment No. 225 to amend the Food Standard Code. This Amendment involves 3 applications on processing aids and 1 application on harmonising with Codex MLs for bivalve molluscs. The processing aids are pullulanase from GM Bacillus subtilus (gene donor: Bacillus deramificans), fructanase from GM Trichoderma reesei and several enzymes introduced into GM Escherichia coli in the manufacture of steviol glycosides. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in Australia and New Zealand:

• FSANZ Calls for Comments on Food Derived from Herbicide-Tolerant and Insect-Protected Corn Line DP910521

• FSANZ Invites Comments on Subtilisin from GM Bacillus Subtillis as a Processing Aid

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.

Recommended reading:

• Hot topic: Global Food Regulation Highlights, 2020-2024