China bans several food additives to bolster food safety
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Chinese authorities have banned several types of food additives as part of new national regulations on food safety issued on Friday.
The new regulations also stipulated that all additives should be marked clearly on food product labels.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday issued four national food safety regulations concerning food additives, food product labels, honey products and the limit of mycotoxins in food. Mycotoxins are metabolites of fungi that can adversely affect animal and human health.
The use of benzoyl peroxide, calcium peroxide and methanal as food additives has been banned under the new regulations, as these additives are no longer necessary for the production of food, according to Chen Rui, an MOH food safety official.
Chen said the new regulations also prohibit the use of food additives for the purpose of concealing quality defects.
The new regulations cover the usage of 2,314 types of food additives, processing aids, gum bases and food flavorings, Chen said.
The revised regulations for food product labels state that labels for all food products should clearly state the names and amounts of food additives being used. The regulations also recommend food manufacturers to print warnings on products that may contain allergens.
The MOH banned the use of benzoyl peroxide and calcium peroxide in flour processing earlier this year, stating that the country's improved processing techniques for wheat and flour had rendered the additives obsolete.
