Regulations in China
3. Keystone national standards
This year has seen significant changes made to China's keystone food safety national standards to pave the way for efficient implementation of the food standards law, says O’Brien.
All imported food, food additives and food-related products must comply with national food safety standards—Article 92 of the new food safety law—totalling 492 at this stage.
“This implies that Chinese industrial standards and company standards will no longer be referenced,” says O’Brien.
“Imported food without a referable Chinese national food safety standard can adopt the standards of the country/region of origin or other international standards (Codex etc).
“Supporting documentation needs to be submitted to the National Health and Family Planning Commission [NHFPC]. Provisional applications should be granted by NHFPC once the standard passes review. New Chinese [national standards] should be subsequently formulated after NHFPC approval,” he adds.
