Takehome:
- In China there are a total of 590 food additive standards. Chinese authorities are still reviewing and creating more new food additive standards.
By September of 2016, there were a total of 590 effective food additives related standards including 588 quality specification standards, 1 food additive labeling standards (GB 29924-2013 National Food Safety Standard General Standard for the Labeling of Food Additives) and 1 general food additive application standard (GB 2760-2014 National Food Safety Standard for Uses of Food Additives). Regarding food additives sold and used in the Chinese market, the number of approved food additive and associated usage scope and dosage thresholds are inadequate to meet industry demands. Consequently, many enterprises have to apply for new food additive or food additive usage scope expansion.
During REACH24hs 2016 food summit (CRAC), Mr. Zou Zhifei, a member of the “Food Safety National Standard Review Committee” and the “New Food Additive or Food Additive Usage Scope Expansion Review Committee”, outlined the most frequent causes for application failure.
- Lack of history of safe usage in international markets
The history of safe usage of a food additive in foreign markets is highly significant when assessing the new food additive or usage scope expansion application. The committee requires applicants to submit sufficient supporting documentation and a literature review in support of an application. Normally food additives that have not been used in foreign markets are unlikely to be approved by the review board.
- Lack of safety testing data
When evaluating the safety of the food additive, toxicity is a mandatory reference index. As for the data resource, the committee accepts that for some common substances the toxicity can be inferred by chemical structures, but mostly, the committee would require toxicity experimental data.
- Differentiation between food additives
The review committee will assess the necessity of food additives and require applicants to provide a scientifically compelling rationale for the use of food additive. For food additives that have many approved products with similar functions, the committee may refuse an application.
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