Over 1,600 national standards set up to enhance food safety

A health official said on Thursday that China has established 1,610 national food safety standards to help ensure food safety and promote industry development.

Tian Jianxin, deputy director of the National Health Commission's department of food safety standards, risk surveillance and assessment, said during a news conference that these standards have covered 340 types of food and contained over 20,000 indicators. Together, they have formed a rigorous, systematic and advanced system.

The commission has also made amendments to some of them in recent years to adjust to the latest trends.

For instance, when revising the standard on milk powder and formula, authorities have added entries on powder made from yak milk, camel milk and mare milk to provide a textbook reference for manufacturers of unconventional diary products.

When modifying standards on infant food, authorities have listed choline, selenium, manganese and other micronutrients as mandatory, rather than optional, food additives, so that infants and toddlers who need supplements can obtain more comprehensive and balanced nutrition.

Tian said that China has also proactively participated in the formulation of international food standards.

A standard on zongzi, sticky rice dumpling wrapped up with bamboo or reed leaves, shared by Asia was released earlier this year, which is expected to facilitate exports of domestic rice dumplings overseas, he said.