With some of the work officially confirmed and some speculated, China has significant plans to improve food and food contact regulations this year. On March 12, 2024, China’s National Health Commission (NHC) announced a series of new food safety standards including one for food contact adhesives. Later that same month the NHC published a draft national food safety legislation plan for 2024.
The new adhesive standard, GB 4806.15-2024, will come into effect on February 8, 2025. According to Chemical Watch, “[t]he standard includes two annexes (A and B), each listing the substances that can be used for direct [51 substances] and indirect food contact [341 substances], and their usage requirements.”
The 2024 legislative plan, ChemLinked reported, includes three standards to be formulated related to chemical migration from food contact materials:
- 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid di (isononyl) ester (CAS 166412-78-8), and 1,4-phenyldicarboxylic acid bis (2-ethylhexyl) ester (CAS unknown)
- 1,4-dichlorobenzene (CAS 106-46-7), and
- Phenol (CAS 108-95-2), formaldehyde (CAS 50-00-0), glycidyl ether (CAS 2238-07-5) and their hydroxyl and chloride derivatives
ChemLinked also reported that although China does not currently have regulation for recycled plastics in food contact, the Chinese Food Safety Authority (CFSA) “revealed” that it is inclined to follow the EU’s approach to permitting recycling processes. Most of the plastics in the Chinese recycling market are polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), or polypropylene (PP). According to ChemLinked, “[c]urrently, CFSA’s final evaluation of physically recycled PET is nearing completion, with a batch of pilot companies having passed the challenging tests. However, the evaluation procedures for PE and PP are still ongoing.”
References
China National Health Commission (February 8, 2024). “Announcement on the release of 47 national food safety standards and 6 amendments (No. 1, 2024) including the “National Food Safety Standards for the Use of Food Additives” (GB 2760-2024).” (in Chinese)
Alexandra Warren (March 20, 2024). “New standard for food contact adhesives in China.” Chemical Watch News & Insight
China National Health Commission (March 26, 2024). “Letter from the Secretariat of the National Food Safety Standards Review Committee soliciting opinions on the 2024 National Food Safety Standards Project Plan (Draft for Comments).” (in Chinese)
Jerry Wang (March 29, 2024). “China Proposes National Food Safety Standard (GB) Legislation Plan for 2024.” ChemLinked
Lennie Tao (March 26, 2024). “Outlook about China’s Supervision Policy for Recycled Plastics in Food Contact Materials.” ChemLinked
Read more
David J. Ettinger, et al. (March 18, 2024). “China Announces the Standard for Food Packaging Adhesives.” National Law Review
Alexandra Warren (March 18, 2024). “China approves use of four food contact substances.” Chemical Watch News & Insight
