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On December 13, 2019, China’s National Health Commission (NHC) approved seven new food-contact substances and expanded use for nine food-contact substances.

The new substances approved for use in food-contact materials and articles, along with specifications and restrictions, are listed below.

China's National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) has solicited comments on one new food-contact substance, expanded use for three food-contact materials and articles, and three new resins. The substances and specifications are listed below.

Food-Contact Materials and Articles with Expanded Use

China's National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) solicited comments on five food-contact substances on October 15, 2019. The substances and specifications are listed below.

China first established a Drug Master File (DMF)-type system for the registration of drug packaging materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and drug excipients in Announcement No. 146 of 2017, published by the former China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). Under the registration system, a company first needs to submit to the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) the registration dossier for a packaging material, API, or drug excipient and obtain a registration number.

On August 21, 2019, the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) solicited comments on 21 substances for food-contact materials and articles. The substances—six additives for expanded use scope or use level, five new additives, three resins for expanded use scope or use level, and seven new resins—are listed below.  

Additives with expanded use scope or use level

On July 23, 2019, China’s National Health Commission (NHC) approved the new or expanded use of four additives for food-contact materials and articles and the use of four new resins in coatings and coating layers.

The following three additives were approved for expanded use in certain plastic food-contact materials and articles:

On June 3, 2019, China’s National Health Commission (NHC) notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) concerning its Food Safety National Standard Adhesives for Use in Food-Contact Materials and Articles (G/SPS/N/CHN/1147). Comments on the Standard are due by August 2, 2019. This standard specified the safety requirements such as the scope, terminologies and definitions, product classification, basic requirements, technical requirements, migration test and label identification of adhesives for food contact materials and products.

On May 29, 2019, China’s National Health Commission (NHC) published information on the approval of a new food-contact additive, six new resins, and the expanded use of eight food-related products.

The new food-contact additive is Octadecanamide, N,N'-1,2-ethanediylbis-, reaction products with azacyclotridecan-2-one homopolymer and 1-isocyanatooctadecane (CAS: 338462-62-7), which can be used in coatings at a maximum level of 2%.

The newly approved resins are:

On May 20, 2019, China's National Health Commission (NHC) published the long-awaited draft of Food Safety National Standard Adhesives for Use in Food-Contact Materials and Articles (draft Adhesives Standard) for public comments. The draft Adhesives Standard applies to adhesives used in food-contact applications and proposes the following definition for "Adhesives Used in Food-Contact Materials and Articles":

"Materials that create adhesion by physical or chemical mode in food-contact materials and articles, directly or indirectly in contact with food." 

China's National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) solicited comments on five new food-contact additives and resins. The new food additives are: