Environmental Working Group’s Post

new version of food additive standard in China

What's Catching My Eyes These Days: States Follow California's Concerning Lead, Food Ingredient Bans Spread. Last October, concerns arose surrounding California's disturbing decision to ban various food and beverage ingredients, including brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, red dye No. 3, titanium dioxide, high-fructose corn syrup, and others. Now, an alarming trend has emerged as Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia move to enact similar bans. This state-led overreach has caused a ripple effect, threatening to undermine federal food safety standards and confuse the public. The wave of uninformed legislation, driven by politicians rather than food safety experts, should deeply concern us. Despite scientific evidence on certain ingredients, the FDA has taken an arguably passive approach, with considerations to remove brominated vegetable oil (BVO). This lack of federal leadership has created a void filled by panicked state lawmakers. Groups like the National Confectioners Association (NCA) and the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) are fighting back, emphasizing science-backed regulation over emotional crusades. The IFT's Food Additives Toolkit aims to clarify the science. Yet, states prioritizing sensationalism risk higher costs, lower quality, and reduced shelf life – the opposite of true food safety. This trend can damage consumer well-being and public trust in our food safety system. I believe the FDA must step up and reclaim its role. Policymakers must embrace evidence-based food regulation, or the consequences could be severe. Let me know your thoughts! Do you think the FDA should step up its game or should there be more collaboration among different parties?

FSSAI is set to introduce stricter quality standards for ice cream, flavored milk, and other dairy products. This move follows the recent ban on Chinese milk imports due to melamine contamination. The regulator is working on comprehensive norms, including fat content in milk, with a draft expected next month. Enhanced surveillance on processed foods and measures against adulteration of milk, drinking water, and edible oils are also underway. This comes in response to concerns about food safety, highlighted by the Maggi controversy. #FoodSafety #FSSAI #DairyStandards #QualityControl #ProcessedFood #ConsumerSafety #DairyIndustry #India https://lnkd.in/gWJY2AWw

A dairy scandal in Italy has led to the seizure of 200 tons of milk and cheese, tainted with caustic soda and peroxide. This alarming revelation highlights concerns over food safety and the integrity of the dairy supply chain. Read more about it in our latest news! #dairyscandal #foodsafety #italiandairy #consumerprotection #foodcompliance #foodnews #causticsoda #peroxide #milk

#Foodsafety and quality are paramount to #breakfastcereal manufacturers and #oat millers On the occasion of #WorldFoodSafetyDay, the European Breakfast Cereal Association CEEREAL and its members, including breakfast cereal manufacturers and oat millers, underline the importance of food safety and quality throughout the entire food chain. This includes aspects, such as sourcing ingredients, production, storage, transport, trade, and retail sales. Ece Nevra Durukan, President of CEEREAL emphasises: “Recognising that breakfast cereals are an integral part of people’s diets, CEEREAL and its members prioritise food safety and quality from seed to spoon. Food safety is crucial to protect public health, ensure the integrity and quality of the food supply and to maximise the nutritional value of our products to the benefit of consumers.” Jörg Cselovszky, Chair of CEEREAL’s Food Safety Working Group, further explains: “Food safety regulation must be based on scientific evidence. To this end, CEEREAL, through its Food Safety Working Group, collects and contributes membership-wide data on contaminants, including our recent Oat Monitoring project. We participate in research activities and science networks and engage with regulators to share data and latest scientific findings and to find practical solutions across the value chain.” More information: www.ceereal.eu Photo credits: micheile-henderson-Y0ooZQS783s-unsplash

FSSAI issued a Direction regarding Standards of Packaged Drinking water On 26th July 2024, FSSAI issued a Direction for Re-operationalization of FSS (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) amendment regulations related to Standards of Packaged Drinking water (Other Than Mineral Water). The Draft Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulations with regard to the values of Total Dissolved Solids, Calcium, and Magnesium are operationalized by the directive issued dated May 30, 2022. Orders dated June 21, 2022, and January 3, 2023, respectively, address partial modifications to the above direction and an extension of the date of implementation. Additionally, by order dated 12.03.2024, the rules related to the allowed limitations of total dissolved solids, magnesium, and calcium in packaged drinking water were re-operationalized. Food Authority has approved the final amendment regulation in the 42nd meeting. The final notification is currently undergoing review, and publishing in the Indian Gazette is expected to take longer. Meanwhile, it has been agreed to re-operationalize the following provision, effective July 1, 2024, to enable the FBOs to create Packaged Drinking Water (other than Mineral Water). Standards of packaged drinking water, the permissible limits: Total dissolved solids, mg/l -75 to 500 Calcium (as Ca), mg/l -10 to 75 Magnesium (as Mg), mg/l -5 to 30   These changes aim to ensure the quality and safety of drinking water available to consumers.

In China, food additives are currently regulated under GB 2760-2014 National Food Safety Standard for Uses of Food Additives. A newly updated Standard GB 2760-2024 was jointly published by the National Health Commission (NHC) and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) on 8 February 2024, and will replace GB 2760-2014 from 8 February 2025. Food business operators who export to China need to be aware of the key changes and ensure that their food products fully comply with the new Standard. Our blog covers some of the key amendments included in the new GB 2760-2024 National Food Safety Standard on Uses of Food Additives. Stay up to date – read the blog ⬇️ For a composition compliance check of your products for China, get in touch with the Regulatory Affairs Team ➡️ [email protected]

Products with S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe) are not considered Food Products As per the notification dated 12th October 2023, the FSSAI has directed all food safety enforcement authorities to ensure that products containing S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe) as an ingredient alone or in combination with other ingredients are not available with FSSAI license in the market. The FSSAI has clearly stated that the ingredient/product with S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe) is not considered as food. https://lnkd.in/dj3D468G #cliniexperts #foodproducts #FoodRegulations #FSSAI #FssaiRegistration #fssaiapproved #FssaiLicense #fssailicenseregistration #fssairegulation #fssairegulatory

New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) is supporting Prolife Foods in its recall of specific batches of its Value Pack Roasted Salted Peanuts (400g). The concern with these products is that they contain levels of aflatoxins above the allowable level in New Zealand. The product was released for sale in error following a previous recall on 5 April 2024. Value Pack Roasted Salted Peanuts (400g) with a best before date of 08 OCT 2024 and 15 OCT 2024 is affected by this update, and was available at selected Fresh Choice, Four Square, New World and PAK'nSAVE stores throughout New Zealand. For full details visit: https://bit.ly/3xwRRfL If you have bought any of these products, don’t consume them and return them to the place of purchase for a refund. Levels of aflatoxin in the New Zealand diet are usually very low and don't represent a health risk. However, consumption of food products with increased levels of aflatoxin over an extended period of time can be harmful. If you have consumed any of this product and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free advice.

Recently, Impossible Foods has taken a major step towards launching its plant-based burger in the European Union. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has ruled that the key ingredient in the Impossible Burger, soy leghemoglobin or "heme", does not raise any safety concerns. 🍔 🌿 Heme is a crucial component that gives the Impossible Burger its meat-like taste and aroma. It is derived from a genetically modified yeast strain. The EFSA's positive assessment of heme marks the first regulatory milestone for the company in Europe, where it has been seeking approval since 2019. While the EFSA's opinion is still provisional, pending further review by a panel that studies genetically modified foods, it represents significant progress for Impossible Foods. The company has been absent from the European market thus far due to the region's stringent food safety regulations. Europe is the world's biggest market for plant-based meat and seafood alternatives, making it a crucial battleground for companies like Impossible Foods. ⚖️ 🇪🇺 Authorities in several other major markets, including the US, Canada, Australia, and Singapore, have already deemed heme safe for human consumption. However, the European Commission has some of the most comprehensive food safety requirements globally. 🌍 If Impossible Foods can navigate the remaining regulatory hurdles, it will be able to offer its flagship burger to European consumers, who have shown greater receptiveness to plant-based meat alternatives compared to their US counterparts. #meatalternatives #plantbasedfoods