china-plasticizers.docVIP

CHINA - plasticizers Date - 2014-11 Extract from: /news/other-news/follow-chinese-plasticizer-storm-interpretation-official-%E2%80%9Cphthalate-black-list%E2%80%9D#sthash.7BlsWnp4.dpbs Follow-up of the Chinese Plasticizer Storm: Interpretation of the Official “Phthalate Black List” By Lizzy Liu on Sunday, 6 January 2013 in Other News In recent years, food safety problems brought about by the misuse of phthalate plasticisers in food additives and food contact materials (FCM) have provoked extensive concerns among the public. Last summer, the crisis of clouding agents in Taiwan once gave rise to a cross-Asia panic to ban Taiwan’s food and beverage imports. The crisis finally led to Taiwan EPA lifting 8 phthalate substances including DEHP and DBP from Class 4 to Class 1 or 2 toxic substances on the TSCA list. A group of phthalates entered the mainland official “black list”, which is liable to be abused by the industry and has been subject to stricter market surveillance ever since. Nevertheless, more incidents are still reported in 2012 that over-the-limit quantities of phthalates are detected in many well-known fast food and drink brands in the mainland market. Not only industry self-discipline but efforts in regulatory management need be considered to relieve the problem. According to the National Food Safety Standard Committee, China has not yet formulated any written law to regulate the standard of phthalate plasticisers in liquor and other food products. In China mainland, safety control on phthalate plasticisers in food is mainly viewed as administrative control measures. For the time being, three ministerial directions and two national standards should be paid attention to by the concerned companies. On 1 June 2011, to address the Taiwan plasticizer influence, China Ministry of Health (MOH) published the sixth list of illegal inedible substances and food additives liable to be abused in the MOH Announcement No 16. The announcement listed 17 phthalate acid este