ZMUni Compliance Centre

On March 12, 2024, the National Health Commission of China released 47 new national food safety standards, including the GB 2760-2024 National Food Safety Standard for Uses of Food Additives. The 2024 version of GB 2760 will be officially implemented on February 8, 2025.

Key Changes Summarized by ZMUni Compliance Centre:

GB 2760-2024 incorporates the food additive varieties and usage regulations that have been approved by the National Health Commission through public announcements since the implementation of GB 2760-2014, up to the 5th announcement of the National Health Commission in 2023.

GB 2760-2024 adds the inclusion of nutrient fortifiers in the definition of food additives. The management of new variety permits, compound food nutrient fortifiers, and other food nutrient fortifiers can refer to the relevant regulations on food additives.

Some usage requirements for food additives have been modified. For example, the total amount requirement for the simultaneous use of aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and neotame in the same food category has been added; the usage relationship between liquid beverages and corresponding solid beverage food additives has been improved.

Some varieties of food processing aids have been deleted or revised. For example, mineral oil has been deleted, and its usage regulations have been integrated with those of liquid paraffin; ammonium phosphate has been deleted, and its usage regulations have been integrated with those of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate and diammonium phosphate. 1,2-dichloroethane variety and usage regulations have been deleted based on the latest evaluation results from JECFA, taking into account regulations from the United States and the European Union. Based on the principle of process necessity, the regulations for the use of β-cyclodextrin in pasteurized milk and sterilized milk have been deleted. The specific functions and usage scope of hydrogen peroxide as a processing aid have been clarified.

Additionally, ZMUni Compliance Centre has noted that:

• Sodium dehydroacetate will be officially prohibited in baked goods, bakery products, pastry and confectionery, and starch products.

• The newly released standards also include GB 19644-2024 National Food Safety Standard for Milk Powder and Modified Milk Powder