China’s National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA), on January 19, 2023, published the long-awaited draft food safety national standard, GB14880-XXXX, addressing the requirements for the use of nutritional fortification substances (NFSs) in food.
The draft standard introduced a range of new changes[2] compared with the currently effective version of GB14880, which entered into force in 2012. This article takes a closer look at the draft GB14880-XXXX and how its food classification system will impact the future approvals of alternative proteins, such as cultured meat and plant-based foods.
GB14880 is a mandatory food standard in China, which stipulates the rules pertaining to the use of prescribed nutrients and other nutritional substances across different food categories. For instance, if one is interested in adding vitamins and minerals in a food for the purpose of fortifying nutritional values of the food, they should first review GB1488 to confirm whether these vitamins and minerals are permissible for the food category capturing this specific food, and if so, the minimum and maximum levels, if any, set out in the standard. If no permission is provided, such use of minerals/vitamins needs to be preapproved by the Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) through filing new food additive applications.
** Click here to read the full-text **
