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Keller and Heckman Associate Eric Gu will present, “Japan’s Positive List for Food Contact Substances,” at the Food Contacts Regulations Asia 2021 Seminar, hosted by Chemical Watch, on February 22, 2021. This virtual event brings together speakers from across Asia to offer the latest developments in Asian legislation, along with speakers from around the world to discuss international regulations. 

For more information on this event, please click here
 

Keller and Heckman Parnter David Ettinger, Associate Eric Gu, and Staff Scientist Chen Hu will present, “Submitting Food-Contact Petitions in China: Pitfalls and Challenges,” at Food Contact Asia 2020 in Shanghai, China, October 19, 2020. This event attracts professionals from the entire food contact supply chain to discuss innovations, develop solutions, and build relationships needed to thrive in this market.

On January 7, 2021, China National Health Commission (NHC) published approvals for one new food-contact material, two new resins, and expanded use for four food-contact materials. The substances and specifications are listed below.

New Food Contact-Materials and Articles

  • 1,3,5-Tris (2,2-dimethylpropanamido) benzene (CAS No. 745070-61-5) for use in polypropylene (PP) at a maximum use level of 0.025% and with a specific migration limit (SML) of 5 mg/kg.

Food-Contact Materials and Articles with Expanded Use

On December 14, 2020, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) requested comments on eleven food-contact substances, including three new resins, two new additives and six expanded-use additives. The substances and specifications are shown below. 

New Resins

On November 11, 2020, China’s National Health Commission (NHC) approved expanded usage for one additive and one resin for use in food contact materials and articles. The additive, polyethylene (CAS no. 9002-88-4) may now be used at a maximum use level of 0.3% in polyoxymethylene (POM) plastic. The use temperature of POM containing this substance may not exceed 121oC.

China notified the WTO concerning a National Standard on Inks used in Food Contact Materials and Articles on November 5, 2020.

On October 16, 2020, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) requested comments on three new food-contact substances (FCSs) and on expanded use for three FCSs. The substances and specifications are shown below. 

New Food-Contact Additives

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has published a request for nominations for “existing substances” be included on the Positive List (PL) of “synthetic resins” for food-contact materials (FCMs) with corresponding submission forms. “Existing substances” include those marketed or used for food-contact utensils, containers and packages (UCP) in Japan prior to the effective date for the PL (i.e., June 1, 2020).  The deadline for filing such nominations is October 30, 2020.

China’s National Health Commission (NHC) published on October 15, 2020 five draft GB standards in relation to food-contact materials and articles, which are described below. 

The China National Light Industry Council (CNLIC) published the Guidance on Classification and Labeling of Degradable Plastic Products on September 8, 2020. This industrial association’s Guidance is in response to the Notice on Further Enhancing Plastic Pollution Control in January 2020. (For more information on that Notice, see the PackagingLaw.com article, China Continues Efforts to Ban and Limit Use of Plastic Products.)