The Ministry of Health published the Announcement 5 to allow 258 substances as additives in food packaging materials last month, which is the third as well as the last batch under the “Notice on carrying out the clean-up of food packaging materials”, reported by an official from China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment.
Compared with the draft list with 261 additives published in Nov last year (see Chemlinked news on 27 Nov 2012), 3 additives have been removed: cerium sulfide (CAS 12014-93-6), 1,3-cyclohexanedimethanol (CAS 3971-28-6), and poly[oxy(methyl-1,2-ethanediyl)], alpha-hydro-omega-hydroxy-, polymer with 1,1'-methylenebis[4-isocyanatobenzene] (CAS 9048-57-1).
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GB 9685-2008 and Three Batches of Food Contact Additives Approved in China
In 2009, the clean-up work of food packaging materials was initiated to collect and assess FCMs additives that are used among food enterprises but not included in the Hygienic Standards for Uses of Additives in Food Containers and Packaging Materials (GB 9685-2008). During the past five years, three positive lists have been released:
MOH Announcement 23 of 2011 including 107 resins
MOH Announcement 5 of 2012 including 301 additives
MOH Announcement 5 of 2013 including 258 additives
China requires pre-market registration of additives in food contact materials that are not covered by the three lists above, the GB 9685 and newly-approved additives by the MOH.
It should be strongly noted that the GB 9685-2008 is currently being revised (see Chemlinked news on 17 Feb). The above-listed 666 additives and new additives approved in recent years are expected to be incorporated into the amended GB 9685.
