Nine national food contact materials and articles standards to be amended

On 12 December 2016, National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China (NHFPC) released G.W.B.S.P.H. (2016) No. 1358 to issue 2016 Food Safety National Standard Project Program (Phase II), including food contact ink and 8 other national food contact materials and articles standards.

The program covers ten categories, including:

basic standards, food product standards, food standards for special diets, food additives quality and specification standards, food nutrients quality and specification standards, food-related standards, production and operation norm standards, phyico-chemical test method standards, microbial test method standards and toxicological test method and procedure standards.

It shall be noted that food contact ink and plastarch materials and articles are under preparation to improve new Chinese food contact regulatory framework.

As regards food contact materials/articles testing, further amendment will be made to the current standard Food safety—National standard on determination of overall migration of food contact materials and articles. The six following test standards will be prepared in the meanwhile:

Food contact materials and articles—Determination of migration of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid
Food contact materials and articles—Determination of migration of 4,4'-Sulfonyldiphenol
Food contact materials and articles—Determination of migration of 1,4-Butanediol
Food contact materials and articles—Determination of migration of nonylphenol
Food contact materials and articles—Determination of migration of primary aromatic amines
Food contact materials and articles—Determination of migration of N- nitrosamines

C&K Testing advises food contact ink and plastarch materials and articles which are not regulated shall comply with the new standards. Enforcement acts will also be included in the new regulatory framework. Businesses shall take notice any amendment which will probably impose new requirements on food contact materials testing.

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