China Proposes Legislative Plan for Updating Safety Standards for Food and Food Contact Products

China proposed plans to enact or revise 81 food safety standards in 2019, including regulations for food contact silicone, measures for the control of lead contamination and various other major standards. Published on 22 May 2019 the proposal is open for public consultation until 1 June 2019.

Verisk 3E Review             

Issued by the National Health Commission of China, the Invite for Response to the Proposed 2019 Legislative Plan for National Food Safety Standards (关于公开征求2019年度食品安全国家标准立项计划（征求意见稿）意见的函) identifies major legislative targets for the food safety administration in 2019. The plan envisages enacting or revising a total of 81 National Food Safety Standards in 2019 in the following categories:

• Standards for food products
• Standards for health foods and special dietary supplements, such as the National Food Safety Standards for Labels of Pre-packaged Foods for Special Dietary Uses (GB 13432-2013) and the National Food Safety Standards - General Rules for Sports Nutrition Foods (GB 24154-2015)
• Standards for food additives – a total of 10 quality specification standards for food additives, such as beta-carotene and lutein, are proposed to be revised or newly drafted
• Standards for nutrition enhancers – 15 national food safety standards would be revised or issued to regulate the quality specifications of nutrition enhancers
• Standards for food contact materials – the product quality standard for food contact silicone would be drafted and issued following the adoption of the proposal
• Standards for production and sales of food products, such as rules for the prevention and control of lead contamination in the process of food production
• Testing standards – a total of 37 testing standards covering agricultural products, food products, as well as food contact materials and articles would also be drafted and issued

No specific deadlines have been identified for the revision or issuance of the listed standards under the proposal.

Verisk 3E Analysis          

Companies that operate in the food industry should note that the National Health Commission recently proposed a legislative plan for 2019. This plan outlines the major legislative goals for 2019 concerning food safety. The proposal covers food products, food contact materials and agricultural products. Affected companies are recommended to review the proposal and submit any comments that they might have to the National health Commission by 1 June 2019 by fax: +8610-68792408.