China Food Safety: Regulation, Markets, Stakeholder Mapping and Horizon Scanning

Defining the Scope

 

• Understanding how China regulates its food supply chain is greatly facilitated by dividing it into two broad categories. The first is regulation of all farming orientated activities (crop cultivation, animal husbandry and fishing) and the regulation of all associated farming inputs/outputs officially termed edible agricultural products as regulated by “The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products” which fall under the remit of China’s Ministry for Agriculture (MoA).
• The second broad designation includes all other food trade and production activities which are regulated under China’s keystone food safety legislation The Food Safety Law (2015) and falls primarily under the regulatory remit of the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) at a domestic level with the help of China's customs authority the AQSIQ . (* It is also noteworthy that all subsequent trading of edible agricultural products is regulated by the CFDA).
• With this important designation in place it is necessary to mention that the content of this article will be restricted to dealing with legislation and regulation of food trade and non-farming related production activities and will primarily reference China’s Food Safety Law (promulgated October 1st 2015) and all supporting regulations, administrative measures, provisions and guidance documents already promulgated in support of China’s overarching food safety law.
• China has a two tier food supply chain and this is reflected in its new food legislation, its regulatory system and its associated economic development plans. China’s food safety targets are now firmly focused on its middle and upper classes (about 300m people) and for this reasons the content of this article will also be limited in scope to the regulation of this food supply.
• In China there is an extensive network of farmers that fall somewhere in the middle of a spectrum between subsistence and small scale industrial farmers. They operate throughout the country, utilizing self-owned logistics and selling small volumes of seasonally available produce through completely unregulated channels. These farmers are a standalone supply chain, encompassing all supply chain elements. They embody the concept of a self-contained farm-to-fork supply chain and due to the ephemeral nature of their business activities are almost impossible to effectively regulate. They do however represent a significant but ultimately unquantifiable contribution to China's complete food supply chain. 
• In addition there is an equally unquantifiable influx of foodstuffs imported through unregulated channels and then sold through social (weibo) and mobile media (wechat). 

 

Defining the Context: A Brief look at China’s Food Regulation over the last Decade

 

It would be remiss not to include a brief chronology of the recent legislative and regulatory changes that have occurred over the last several years to a decade culminating in the recent promulgation of China’s new Food Safety Law on October 1st 2015. I cannot also fail to mention the specter of food scandal which continues to plague China’s food supply chain and is inextricably linked with the development of China’s food safety legislation. Indeed for well more than a decade the development and implementation of the Chinese government’s food safety policies have been reactionary in nature and largely in response to scandals. A significant number of China’s most important legislative and regulatory changes have been kneejerk reactions in response to the illegal activities of food criminals and attempts to fill the gaps in supervision and enforcement capacity highlighted by these scandals. In contrast recent food industry policies have been developed with careful foresight and are indicative of the shift in China's economic development plans. 

 

A Chronology and Overview of Major Food Safety Scandals Precipitating Regulatory Changes (2004-2013)

 

Circa 2004: Fuyang Fake Infant Formula Scandal Precipitates promulgation of 2 hugely significant pieces of food legislation namely

1.  GB 7718 – 2004 “General Rules for Labeling of Prepackaged Foods”
2. GB 13432-2004 “General Rules for Labeling of Foods for Special Dietary Purposes” (Infant formula falls under this category

 

2004-2007: Sudan Red Scandal and Nestle Excessive Iodine Scandal

The Fuyang Milk Powder Incident was followed over the course of the next several years by a succession of scandals most notably the “Sudan Red G” scandal of 2005 and a scandal involving excessive iodine in Nestle produced milk powders .

 

2008-2009: Melamine Milk Powder Scandal

At the time the melamine scandal first broke China’s overarching food legislation was the “Food Sanitary Law”. As early as 2007, in the wake of recent scandals, there were rumblings of government’s plans to consolidate all of China’s disparate food legislative documents, administrative measures, standards and guidance documents into a single umbrella legislative document that would function as China’s food safety law.  It however wasn’t until the melamine scandal of 2008 was uncovered that a concerted government effort involving multiple ministries was finally undertaken, culminating in the promulgation of China’s first food safety law in 2009.

 2009 -2013: Shineway Clenbuterol Adulterated Pork and Taiwan Beverage Plasticizer Scandal

• These two incidents prompted the promulgated of GB 7718-2011 “General Rules for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods in China.”

 

From Reactionary Legislation to Strategic Economically Orientated Food Safety Legislation ...,.(2013-Present)

 

• Up until March 2013 China’s food industry was regulated and administrated by numerous ministries each responsible for different elements of China’s food supply chain. Regulation of domestically circulated foods at this time was divided between the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), in addition to the Ministry of Health (now disbanded), the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC).
• In March 2013 the government elevated the then SFDA to ministerial level status, renaming it the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) in addition to consolidating the regulatory responsibility previously designated to the aforementioned ministries under the sole regulatory remit of the CFDA. This became China’s first centralized regulatory authority tasked with ensuring food safety, production standards and the integrity of China’s food industry.

 

Key Authorities

• CFDA: Regulates China’s Domestic Food Supply China
• AQSIQ: Customs Bureau Responsible for Inspecting and Testing the compliance and safety of goods at ports
• CNCA: Work in conjunction with AQSIQ and CFDA to conduct onsite inspection of international manufactures exporting to China to ensure compliance with Chinese national standards
• NHFPC: Work in collaboration with CFDA to help develop national food safety standards

 

Recent Developments in China’s Food Industry

 As we can see China's food industry has undergone a period of a rapid transformation in the last several years. Picking a single milestone as a reference point is a difficult task but looking back to March 2013, which saw the elevation of the SFDA to the ministerial level institution we know as today's CFDA, is probably a good line in the sand to help focus further analysis. Looking at the events that have transpired after this key marker helps us place the concerted regulatory efforts of China's primary food regulatory institutions namely the CFDA, AQSIQ, NHFPC in the context of China's broader economic goals and understand the rationale behind many of China's recent legislative and regulatory efforts. Our second marker is the Oct 1st promulgation of China's new food safety law and the heavy emphasis placed on regulating imported foods.

 

The Bigger Picture: Finding a Balance between Trade Stimulus and Food Safety

A key goal as expounded in the sessions of China's National's People’s Congress is to continue to shift China in the direction of a more consumption based economy, deregulate key industries and to allow market forces to have a stronger influence on government policy. The government has earmarked China's food industry (in particular food importation) as a key battleground to achieve these goals as evidenced in recent data (AQSIQ 2014) indicating 17.6% annual growth in the imported food sector (roughly 3 times domestic average).

3 Birds with One Stone - Food Safety, Market Forces and Increased Importation

• The imported food supply chain with its clearly defined entry points is inherently more regulatable than China's domestic supply chain, meaning food safety can be more easily guaranteed. Combined with massive domestic demand for safe foods and the overall plans to allow market forces to dictate policy and to promote consumerism in its middle and upper classes China's recent food industry reforms and the contents of China's new food safety law begin to make sense.
• Unfortunately China faces a bit of a catch 22....deregulation in any key sector of the economy poses significant dangers. If China reduces regulatory compliance requirements for imports it invites disaster in the form of food safety scandals. On the other hand if it over-regulates importation of food it runs the risk of suffocating international investment, fueling importation through grey and black market channels and hamstringing its economic development plans.

 

On a Knife Edge.....

 

Treading this precarious line between over-regulation at the expense of international investment and deregulation at the expense of food safety the majority of China's policies reflect an effort to find the stable middle ground. China is shifting its emphasis from supervision and inspection at ports which is already stretching the supervisory capacities of AQSIQ towards source control and post market inspection by CFDA with plans to phase-in onsite manufacturer inspection in country of origin using CNCA (similar to meat, dairy, aquatic products, birds nest), to all food commodities, more requirements for documentation and recording of foreign manufacturer credentials and  incrementally stringent inspection and testing of food imports for traders with a history of compliance issues at port. China plans to stimulate importation by reducing customs tariffs and reducing customs clearance administrative red tape which will bring about a more affordable, streamlined administrative process complete with user friendly IT-based recordkeeping for foreign enterprise exporting to China.

 

Haitao: The Leak Channel  

 

China's best laid economic plans and attempts to control food trade balance through technical barriers to trade must cater to the massive demand for imported foods from Chinese consumers which due to the litany of food safety scandals is increasing every year. Import and sale of foods through unregulated channels known as "Haitao" is an extremely destabilizing force for China's economy and in recent years, developments in China's food industry particularly the development of crossborder ecommerce and associated food regulatory reforms have attempted to address this, echoed by Premier Li Keqiang's recent calls to give Chinese consumers greater access to foreign consumer goods.

2010-2015: Value of Crossborder eCommerce in China

 

 

Some Key Points about China’s Food Industry and Markets

• an unmatched consumer base composed of a burgeoning middle class with serious discretionary spending power
• continued upward mobility of lower classes (more consumers)
• safe food sells - traceability and authentication of foods

• dissatisfaction and mistrust of domestically produced foods
• changes in family planning policy and an upcoming baby boom
• an equally important senescent demographic with an interest in anti-aging products, functional foods 
• a deep cultural appreciation for the multifactorial nature of disease and the role nutrition plays in prophylaxis. 
• despite this fact there are paradoxically low rates of breast feeding among Chinese mothers
• government calls for increased access to foreign consumer goods
• a switch from premarket inspection to postmarket supervision
• deregulation of specific importation and trade channels e.g CBEC
• an upcoming baby boom (change in 1 child policy)

 

Coupling of Food Safety Legislation and Economic Goals

 

Under China's new food safety law the government has clearly legislated with an emphasis on food importation and will also push accountability for any food safety issues to the food industry ensuring individual enterprises bear full responsibility for food safety issues. In line with this it has legislated for source control via CNCA audit of international manufacturers exporting to china, risk based supervision, credit/blacklisting, a self-regulating industry and shifting from premarket to postmarket supervision.

The Chinese government's food industry development strategy is perfectly encapsulated by developments in its infant formula and dairy industry over the last several years. The coupling of legislation and development of technical barriers to trade have been carefully designed to shape markets and harness consumer demand for imported goods as a force for domestic economic growth. (I'll revisit later)

Major food safety issues will mean manufacturers lose the right to export to China by being struck off the AQSIQ/CNCA accreditation list. For smaller issues during standard testing at port, any safety and compliance issues uncovered by the AQSIQ will cause manufacturers to accumulate penalties and be subject to incrementally stringent compliance requirements based on their track record.  CFDA will then be tasked with conducting monthly random sampling campaigns to mop up the unlikely problems that escaped the first 2 steps.

China’s Infant Formula Sector as the Model for Future Growth

 In the next decade China will have the safest infant formula available anywhere. That will be just 10 short years after China's melamine scandal. The progress made in China's infant formula industry has been realized not by any massive improvement in domestic conditions, manufacturing standards, animal husbandry or pasture management but in savvy foreign trade policies and technical barriers to trade in the form of incrementally stringent regulations. Developments in China's infant formula sector encapsulate the key regulatory, economic, trade and business strategies adopted by China's government to improve food safety. It is the model which China's government will continue to use to rapidly improve the safety of foods circulating in its markets. When the Chinese government talk about focusing on imports, allowing Chinese consumers access to foreign products and letting market forces dictate changes in food safety the following is a broad overview of the strategy they follow.

• Regulatory Selective Pressures at a Domestic Level

China implemented successively stringent regulatory requirements for domestic producers forcing closure and/or mergers of China's lowest technical capacity manufacturers and survival and consolidation of supply into the hands of China's fittest domestic manufacturers. In a few years the number of manufacturers went from several hundred to just 128.

• Merger and Acquisition

The world’s largest international dairy manufacturers have engaged in multibillion dollar deals with China's largest infant formula manufacturers. International infant formula manufacturers get access to the world’s largest consumer base and a head start on competition through foreknowledge of pending regulations and changes to market access requirements. The Chinese manufacturers get access to raw materials from high value regions seen as the safest in the eyes of Chinese consumers ...Ireland, New Zealand, Holland, France, Germany, the experience of the world’s largest dairy companies and a share in the spoils of international companies’ profits.

• Technical Barriers to Trade: Funnel and Control Supply

Once the first two strategies are in place controlling supply is particularly important. China first required CNCA onsite inspection of all infant formula manufacturers. Recent notices to WTO and draft regulations released here in China show how China will limit manufacturers to just 3 product lines and require registration of all infant formulas.  With the first 3 steps complete the boundaries between what is considered a purely Chinese enterprise and a international enterprise are becoming increasingly blurred. All players exporting to the Chinese market now have mutually vested interests with the Chinese manufacturers and their partner enterprises here in China.

• Fitting the Economic Paradigm: Made for China

The food industry is an important sector of China's economy and particularly important from a cultural perspective. A consumption based economy requires consumer products that are in demand. From a food industry perspective this essentially equates to sourcing of imported packaged goods and the ingredients which are used in these products. The government has earmarked specific high risk high demand sectors for implementation of its food safety improvement strategy starting with infant formula and other "special foods", meats and aquatic products. Chinese national standards also increasingly require dedicated labeling and formulation strategies which forgo use of simple over labels on existing products produced in other markets.

 

Current Regulation of Food Safety in Mainland China

 

To further aid understanding of China food legislation and regulation it is necessary to further subdivide China’s food supply Chain into another 2 key categories specifically

 

• Entry of imported food as controlled and regulated by the AQSIQ
• Regulation of domestic circulation, production and trade as regulated by the CFDA.
• In addition a significant number of Chinese national food standards are developed by the NHFPC (National Health and Family Planning Clinic) 

 

An Overview and Analysis of China’s Food Safety Law (2015)

 

The Food Safety Law is divided into 10 Chapters and 154 separate articles designed to thoroughly regulate all links in China’s food supply chain.

• Chapter 1: General Principles

• Chapter 2: Food Safety Risk Surveillance and Assessment
• Chapter 3: Food Safety Standards
• Chapter 4: Food Production and Trading

 

1. Section 1: General Provisions
2. Section 2: Process Control of Production and Trading
3. Section 3: Label, product description and advertisement

• Section 4: Special Foods
• Chapter 5 Food Inspection
• Chapter 6: Food Import and Export
• Chapter 7: Handling of Food Safety Incidents
• Chapter 8 Regulatory Work
• Chapter 9: Legal Liabilities
• Chapter 10: Supplementary Provisions

 

An Overview and Analysis of Key Element of New Food Safety Law

Beginning in earnest at the start of 2015 Chinese food safety policymakers have been working flat out to build a solid foundation for practical implementation of China's food safety law on October 1st 2015 which will serve as the framework for development of China's food safety infrastructure over the next several years. China is heavily reliant on imported foods and this is reflected in the strong emphasis placed on regulating imports, particularly what China classifies as special foods and foods for special dietary purposes i.e. health foods, nutrient supplements, infant formula .

 

Changes to Administrative Requirements for Imported Food (Chapter 6) Articles 91-101:

• Article 96: Importer information – Name, address, country of origin
• Article 98: Imported Food Specification: Product name, quantity, batch number etc.
• Article 100: Blacklist System – Bad Credit System

 

Exporters and importers have been required to file records with AQSIQ since 1 Oct 2012; filing management has been upgraded to match with the requirements of the new Food Safety Law.

Filing should be conducted through the new system from 1 Oct 2015 on at https://ire.eciq.cn.

Article 96 of the FSL specifies the implementation of record filing for registered imported food manufacturers, importers and traders. Serious safety issues or falsification of documentation by importers will see registration status rescinded by authorities. Non-compliance and safety issues uncovered by AQSIQ at ports during inspection or testing will be recorded on an IT system. Article 96 is designed to support

Article 98 which specifies the new requirement for filing of information related to food importation activities specifically information relating to product name, specifications. Under the system all overseas food manufacturers exporting to China will require basic information filing including manufacturer name, address and country of origin either by the manufacturer or their representative domestic importer. AQSIQ will use this information in addition to any blacklist records to apportion individualized supervision and inspection to goods arriving at port. Rates of consignment testing and inspection will be based on the operational history of importers whereby good records will be rewarded with comparatively fast clearance times and poor records will be punished with extended testing. The record filing system will also be used to aid in food recall (article 63) which was also given legal power for the first time in 2015, risk alert dissemination (article 95)

 

Horizon Scanning: Importer Validation of Overseas Manufacturers and Future Requirements

 

Article 94 of the FSL states “Importers shall establish an examination and verification system for overseas exporter and producers; they shall, with emphasis, review the foods, food additives, and food related products exported to China ensuring compliance with requirements of the FSL, other Chinese laws, regulations and the national food safety standard and bear responsibility for the contents of the food labels and instructions”.

In line with this AQSIQ will pass "Administrative Measures for Food Importers’ Examination and Verification on Overseas Enterprises. In the future AQSIQ via CNCA plans to evaluate all food manufacturers (joining the current catalog of products requiring registration i.e. dairy, meat, aquatic products and birds nest) exporting to China in line with provisions laid down in "Administrative Provisions on Registration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Foods (AQSIQ Order No.145-2012)"

Infant Formula (article 81) 

China will in the future require registration of all special foods which will encompass infant formula. Infant formula and dairy rank as the most financially significant food commodity imported in China. Interestingly China has changed its stance on OEM production and is now permitting domestic OEM production of infant formula, which comes as no surprise given China's dairy industry development trends, most notably the heavy financial investment by Chinese manufacturers in overseas manufacturing facilities and the signing of some extremely high profile M&A deals over the last several months.

 

Health Foods (Functional Foods/Nutrient Supplements)

Changes to Health Food regulation outlined in the FSL (article 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 82, 83) have been supplemented by the drafting of the following three administrative measures

 

• “Administrative Measures of Registration and Filing of Health Food”
• “Administrative Measures on Health Food Labeling” (supports article 78)
• “Administrative Measures on Health Food Raw Material Directory and Health Function Directory” (positive list , new list of permitted functions)

 

Article 75 of the FSL articulates requirements to develop a positive list of functional food ingredients. Other changes include simplified market access procedures for nutrient supplements involving record filing and simplification of the registration requirements for health foods proper (Article 77).

Traceability (article 42)

Counterfeiting, adulteration, tampering, relabeling of expired goods and use of illegal ingredients is a multibillion dollar industry in China. Awareness of these issues permeates all socioeconomic strata and is a huge factor in consumer purchasing behaviors. Article 42 of the FSL establishes the first legal precedent for mandatory implementation of traceability systems in China's food industry.  

 

Significant Changes to Keystone National Standards (see below for most important standards)

In 2015 there were significant changes made to China's keystone food safety national standards to paving the way for efficient implementation of the FSL.

 

• GB 9865 Food contact materials additives standard
• GB 2760-2014 Food Additive Standard implemented on 24th of May
• GB 13432-2013 New Labeling Standard 1st of July

 

All imported food, food additives and food related products shall comply with national food safety standards (refer to article 92 of the new Food Safety Law), totaling 492 at this stage. This implies that Chinese industrial standards and company standards will no longer be referenced.

* Imported food without a referable Chinese national food safety standard can adopt the standards of the country/region of origin or other international standards (codex etc.). Supporting documentation needs to be submitted to the NHFPC. Provisional application should be granted by NHFPC once the standard passes review. New Chinese GBs should be subsequently formulated after NHFPC approval. (Article 93)

 

Most Important China National Food Safety Standards

 

Food Additives (40+)

• GB 29938-2013 General Rules for Flavorings
• GB 2760-2014 National Food Safety Standard Standard for Uses of Food Additives
• GB 26687-2011 National Food Safety Standard General Standard for Blended Food Additives
• GB 26401-2011 National Food Safety Standard for Food Additive Arochidonic Acid Oil (Fermentation Process)
• GB 26400-2011 National Food Safety Standard for Food Additive Docosahexaenoic Acid Grease (Fermentation Process)
• GB25567-2010 National Food Safety Standard Food Additive - Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate
• GB 14880-2012 National Food Safety Standard Standard for the Use of Nutritional Fortification Substances in Foods
• Q&A of GB 14880-2012 National Food Safety Standard Standard for the Use of Nutritional Fortification Substances in Foods
• Application Scope and Limitations of Flavoring Agents in Taiwan
• Measures on Administration of New Varieties of Food Additives
• Provisions on Application and Acceptance of New Varieties of Food Additives
• Korea Food Additive Code

 

Food Label

• GB 7718-2011 National Food Safety Standard General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods
• GB 29924-2013 National Food Safety Standard General Standard for the Labeling of Food Additives
• GB 28050-2011 National Food Safety Standard General Rules for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods

• GB 13432-2013 National Food Safety Standard Labelling of Prepackaged Foods for Special Dietary Uses

Dairy Products (infant formula): click here to find more

 

Baby Foods

 

• GB 25596-2010 General Rules of Infant Formula for Special Medical Use
• GB 25596-2010 National Food Safety Standard General Rules for Infant Formula Food for Special Medical Purpose Q&A
• GB 10769-2010 National Food Safety Standard Cereal-based Complementary Foods for Infants and Young Children
• GB 22570-2014 National Food Safety Standard Complementary Food Supplements
• GB 10770-2010 National Food Safety Standard Canned Complementary Foods for Infants and Young Children

 

Beverages & Drinking Waters

 

GB/T 10789-2015 General Standard for Beverage

• GB 5749-2006 Standards for Drinking Water Quality
• GB 2757-2012 Distilled Spirits and Formulated Spirits
• GB 2758-2012 Fermented Alcoholic Beverages and their Integrated Alcoholic Beverages

 

Heath Foods

 

• Administrative Measures for Registration and Filing of Health Foods (Draft)
• Administrative Measures on Health Food Raw Material Directory and Health Function Directory (Consultation Draft)
• Administrative Measures on Health Food Labelling (Draft)
• GB 16740-2014 National Food Safety Standard Health Food
• Measures on the Administration of Health Food Registration (Interim)
• Administrative Provisions on Nutrient Supplements(draft) and Requirements on Nutrient Supplements Dossiers(draft)

 

Imported Foods

 

• Administrative Measures for Inspection and Supervision of Imported Foods at Ports (Draft)
• Administrative Provisions on Recording of Importing and Sales of Foods (AQSIQ Announcement No.55-2012)
• Administrative Provisions on Filing of Importers and Exporters of Imported Foods [AQSIQ Announcement No.55-2012]
• Administrative Provisions on Registration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Foods [AQSIQ Order No.145-2012]

 

Food Testing

 

• GB 2761-2011 Maximum Levels of Mycotoxins in Foods
• GB 2762-2012 National Food Safety Standard Maximum Levels of Contaminants in Foods
• GB 4789.26-2013 Food Microbiological Examination-Commercial Sterilization Examination
• GB 5009.74-2014 Limit Test for Heavy Metals in Food Additives
• GB 5009.88-2014 National Food Safety Standard Determination of Dietary Fibers in Foods
• GB 5009.211-2014 National Food Safety Standard Determination of Folate in Foods
• GB 5009.17-2014 Determination of Total Mercury and Organic-mercury in Food
• GB 5009.75-2014 National Food Safety Standard Determination of Lead in Food Additives
• GB 5009.11-2014 National Food Safety Standard Determination of Total Arsenic and Abio-Arsenic in Foods
• GB 5009.5-2010 National Food Safety Standard Determination of Protein in Foods

 

Residue Limits for Pesticides

• GB 2763-2012 National food safety standard-Maximum residue limits for pesticides in food
• GB 2763-2014 National food safety standard-Maximum residue limits for pesticides in food

 

Food Contact Materials

 

• General Safety Requirements for Food Contact Materials and Products (Draft)
• GB 5009.156-201X General Rules of the Pre-treatment Method of the Migration Test for Food Contact Materials and Products (Draft)
• GB/T 16288-2008 Marking of plastics products
• GB/T 6673-2001 Determination of Length and Width of Plastics Film and Sheeting
• GB/T 6672-2001 Plastics Film and Sheeting - Determination of Thickness by Mechanical Scanning
• GB/T 5009.60-2003 Method for Analysis of Hygienic Standard of Products of Polyethylene, Polystyrene and Polypropyrene for Food Packaging
• GB/T 5009.156-2003 General Principle for the Determination of Migration of Packaging Materials and Their Products
• GB/T 4456-2008 Polyethylene Blown Film for Packaging Applications
• GB/T 21302-2007 General Rules of Laminated Films & Pouches for Packaging
• GB 9691-1988 Hygienic Standard for Polyethylene Resin Used as Food Packaging Material
• GB 9685-xxxx Standard for Uses of Additives in Food Contact Materials and Their Products (Draft)
• GB 9685-2008+MOH Newly Approved Food Contact Additives in China
• GB 9685-2008 Hygienic Standards for Uses of Additives in Food Containers and Packaging Materials
• GB 9683-1988 Hygienic Standard for Composite Laminated Food Packaging Bag
• GB 1038-2000 Plastics--Film and Sheeting--Determination of Gas Transmission Differential -Pressure Method
• GB 1037-1988 Test Method for Water Vapor Transmission of Plastic Film and Sheet-Cup Method
• Provisions on Administration of Administrative Licensing for New Varieties of Food-related Products
• Provisions on Application and Acceptance of New Varieties of Food-related Products

 

Others 

 

• GB 29922-2013 National Food Safety Standard General Rules for Foods for Special Medical Purposes
• GB 31601-2015 National Food Safety Standard Nutrient Supplementary Food for Pregnant and Lactating Women
• GB 24154-2015 National Food Safety Standard General Standard for Sports Nutrition Food
• Free Trade Zone: Measures for Administration of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone
• Food Production: GB14881-2013 National Food Safety Standard General Hygiene Practice for Food Production
• New Food Raw Materials: Administrative Measures on Safety Examination of New Food Raw Materials
• Meat Products: Administrative Measures on Inspection, Quarantine and Supervision of Import and Export Meat Products [ AQSIQ Order No.136-2011]
• Aquatic Products: Measures for the Inspection and Quarantine of Imported and Exported Aquatic Products
• Measures for Ag GMO Labeling Administration
• Administrative Measures on Organic Product Certification

 

* If you are interested in any of the topics discussed in this article please contact [email protected]