The List of 128 Infant Formula Manufacturers in China Released by CFDA

On 2 Aug, CFDA announced the list of 128 infant formula manufacturers with food production licenses in China. Famous dairy companies, such as Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd, Mead Johnson Nutrition Co. Ltd (China), Dumex Infant Food Co.Ltd (Shanghai) and Abbott Nutrition Co. Ltd (Guangzhou) are included. With this information available, it will be much more convenient and direct for the public and food regulators to supervise the production of infant formula.

Meanwhile, CFDA also released to the public the manufacturers’ production addresses, serial numbers of food production licenses well as the issuing and expiry dates of licenses.

The list is made public following the Opinions on Further Intensifying Quality and Safety of Infant Formula jointly issued by 9 ministries in June 2013 (see Chemlinked news on 28 Jun), which acts as the solid foundation for a series of more specific infant formula-related regulations to be updated in the near future.

Though just one month passed, required by the “Opinions”, CFDA has responded rapidly by disclosing 128 manufacturers and drafting several regulations for ensuring the safety of infant formula for public consultation:

•   Rules for Examination on the Licensing Conditions of Infant Formula Manufacturers (2013)_draft

•   Provisions to Ban Producing Infant Formula by outsourcing, subcontracting and sub-packaging_draft

•   Measures on the Administration of Record-filing of Infant Formula_draft

•   Rules for Supervision and Examination on Manufacturers’ Primary Responsibility for Quality and Safety of Infant formula_draft

After they are effective, the next step that CFDA will take is to initiate the clean-up of infant formula manufacturers by conducting re-examination according the new regulations. Dairy firms that cannot meet higher and stricter requirements will be weeded out.