On March 12, the website of the National Health and Health Commission publicly released the National Food Safety Standards Standard for the Use of Food Additives (GB 2760-2024) and other 47 food safety national standards and 6 amendment orders, and the 2014 version of GB 2760, which lasted for ten years, will be officially replaced by the 2024 version of GB 2760 on February 8, 2025. Given that the use of food additives directly affects the compliance of enterprise products, FoodPartner.com has sorted out the major changes in the regulations on the use of food additives in some food categories, involving the use of preservatives in canned food, the requirements for the total amount of sweeteners to be used together in the same food category, the restriction on the use of dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salt, and the restriction on the use of the processing aids, such as hydrogen peroxide, etc., for the industry’s reference.

These preservatives cannot be used in canned foods

According to the canned food industry survey, with reference to the relevant canned food product standards, i.e., canned food are pasteurized, the new version of GB 2760 deleted food additives used in canned food that have the sole function of a preservative and the first function of a preservative use requirements. Specific use regulations of preservatives deleted in the new GB 2760 mainly include:
(1) The use of ε-polylysine hydrochloride in canned fruits, canned vegetables and canned nuts and seeds has been deleted;

(2) The deletion of provisions for the use of Streptococcus lactis and ε-polylysine hydrochloride in canned edible mushrooms and algae, and canned mixed grains;
(3) The provisions for the use of ε-polylysine, ε-polylysine hydrochloride, streptogramin lactate, sodium diacetate (also known as sodium diacetate), sorbic acid and its potassium salt, and dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salt (also known as dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salt) in canned meat products have been deleted;
(4) Deleted the use of stabilized chlorine dioxide in canned aquatic products.

The new version of GB2760 has added these sweeteners
Requirements on the total amount of these sweeteners when used together

The new GB 2760 has added the total amount of aspartame, acesulfame and aspartyl phenylalanine methyl ester acetylsulfanilic acid when they are used together in the same food category. The specific provisions are as follows:

(1) Aspartame (also known as aspartylphenylalanine methyl ester): If the use of aspartylphenylalanine methyl ester acetylsulfanilamide acid is allowed in the same food category at the same time (the maximum use amount multiplied by 0.64 can be converted to the amount of aspartame), when used in combination, the maximum use amount must not exceed the maximum use amount of aspartame specified in the standard.

(2) Aspartyl phenylalanine methyl ester acetylsulfamate: If the use of aspartame or acesulfame is allowed in the food category at the same time, when used in combination, the maximum amount used cannot exceed the maximum amount of aspartame or acesulfame specified in the standard (the maximum amount of aspartyl phenylalanine methyl ester acetylsulfamate can be converted into the amount of aspartame by multiplying it with 0.64, and the maximum amount of acesulfame can be converted into the amount of acesulfame by multiplying it with 0.44). (Acesulfame dosage).

Deletion of dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salt
Use in 7 types of food including confectionery

According to the results of the food safety risk assessment of food additive sodium dehydroacetate organized by the Food Evaluation Center, combined with the survey of the use of sodium dehydroacetate in related industries, the new version of GB 2760 deleted the use of dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salt in butter and concentrated butter, starch products, bread, pastries, bakery fillings and surfaces of slurry, pre-prepared meat products, fruit and vegetable juices (syrups) and adjusted the use of this food additive in seven categories of foods. Adjusted the maximum use level of the food additive in pickled vegetables from 1.0g/kg to 0.3g/kg.

Restriction on the use of hydrogen peroxide as a processing aid

Based on the results of the latest assessment of safety and process necessity, and in conjunction with the actual use in the industry, the specific functions and scope of use of hydrogen peroxide when used as a processing aid have been clarified, and the processing aid hydrogen peroxide has been adjusted from the “List of Processing Aids that can be Used in Various Types of Food Processing and the Residual Amounts Do Not Need to be Restricted” to the “List of Processing Aids Requiring Specification of the Functions and Scope of Use”. Hydrogen peroxide, as desulfurizing agent, decolorizing agent and deiodinating agent, can be used in starch sugar and starch processing process, oil and grease processing process, seaweed processing process, collagen enteric coating processing process, whey powder and whey protein powder processing process.

Provisions for the use of some food additives
No process necessity, deleted

According to the survey of the beverage industry, in accordance with the principle that the use of food additives should have process necessity, the provisions on the use of natamycin in fruit and vegetable juice pulp are deleted.
With the improvement of production process, etc., and considering the principle of process necessity, the provisions on the use of β-carotene and mono- and diglycerides of diacetyl tartaric acid in distilled spirits have been deleted, and the provisions on the use of azocarbonamide in wheat flour have been deleted.
Based on the principle of process necessity, the regulation on the use of processing aid β-cyclodextrin for pasteurized milk and sterilized milk is deleted.

Summary

According to the Regulations on the Implementation of the Food Safety Law, after the publication of a food safety standard, food production operators can implement it before the implementation date specified in the food safety standard. Although, there is a transition period of nearly one year for the 2024 version of GB 2760, considering that it takes time to adjust food formulas, and some of the revisions will also involve a change of labeling, it is recommended that enterprises involved in the above revision matters review and adjust their formulas and labels in a timely manner, so as to ensure a smooth transition between the old and the new standards, and to ensure compliant production and operation.