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On March 15, 2024, Thai Food and Drug Administration announced to consult on Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) Notification regarding Extraction Solvents for Use in Food Production (Draft). Any comments can be sent back prior to May 1st, 2024. After being finalized and entering into force, the new regulation will replace MOPH Notification No. 259 on the Use of Methyl Alcohol as a Processing Aid in Certain Foods dated 2002.
Extraction solvents in the Regulation refer to solvents used as processing aids in the extraction step during the production of food and food ingredients, which is subsequently removed. This draft specifies their quality standard and usage requirements, but does not apply to the below substances which have prescribed standards:
1) water used as extraction solvent
2) oils and fats used as extraction solvents
3) extraction solvents used in food additive production
As per the draft, extraction solvents are supervised as specific controlled food, which means product registration is required for their market access. Their specification should either comply with the latest Compendium of Food Additive Specifications issued by JECFA or theMOPH notification on Food Additive.
In addition, the use of extraction solvent should follow the appendix of the draft notification, which involves the permitted solvents varieties, corresponding food types, maximum usage amount, maximum residue levels and specific conditions. The following are the partial contents extracted from the appendix:
Chemical name | Food type | Maximum usage amount (mg/kg) | Maximum residue levels (mg/kg) | Specific conditions |
Acetone (CAS 67-64-1) | As appropriate | 0.1 | Not allowed to be used for the extraction of olive pomace oil | |
Flavoring substances | As appropriate | 30 | ||
Butane or n- Butane (INS 943a) | All food | As appropriate | 0.1 | |
Flavoring substances | As appropriate | 1 | ||
n-butanol or butan-1-ol or butyl alcohol) (CAS 76-36-3) | All food | As appropriate | 10 |
Please check MOPH Notification regarding Extraction Solvents for Use in Food Production (Draft) for more details. Feel free to contact ChemLinked if you need any translation services.
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