On December 1, 2023, China National Health Commission (NHC) and State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) jointly unveiled Announcement on Amino Acid Management on Food for Special Dietary Uses, with immediate effect.

In order to further strengthen the management of foods for special dietary uses, the relevant provisions on the management of amino acids in foods for special dietary uses are announced as follows.

I. Amino acids in national food safety standards such as the National Food Safety Standard Infant Formula (GB 10765), National Food Safety Standard Older Infant Formula (GB 10766), National Food Safety Standard General Rules of Infant Formula for Special Medical Purpose (GB 25596), National Food Safety Standard General Principles for Food for Special Medical Purpose (GB 29922), National Food Safety Standard General Standard for Sports Nutrition Food (GB 24154) should be managed as food nutritional fortification substances, whose use should comply with the respective standards and relevant provisions for foods for special dietary uses.

II. In order to facilitate the use and management of amino acids in foods for special dietary uses, the appendix to this announcement summarized the relevant contents of the above standards, supplemented and improved some quality specification requirements and test methods. When amino acids are used as food nutritional fortification substances, they should comply with the provisions of this announcement and annex.

III. When amino acids are used as food additives for non-food nutritional fortification substances, they should meet the requirements of the National Food Safety Standard Standard for Uses of Food Additives (GB 2760), and their quality specifications should be implemented in accordance with the corresponding quality specification standards for food additives.

Interpretation

The announcement summarized the monomer amino acids that can be used in standards for foods for special dietary uses such as the National Food Safety Standard Infant Formula (GB 10765), National Food Safety Standard Older Infant Formula (GB 10766), National Food Safety Standard General Rules of Infant Formula for Special Medical Purpose (GB 25596), National Food Safety Standard General Principles for Food for Special Medical Purpose (GB 29922) and National Food Safety Standard General Standard for Sports Nutrition Food (GB 24154). It stipulated the requirements for amino acid variety, compound source, chemical name, molecular formula, relative molecular weight, specific rotation, pH, purity, dry weight loss, burning residue, lead, arsenic, etc.

Regarding the connection with the National Food Safety Standard Standard for the use of Food Nutritional Fortification Substances in Foods (GB 14880), the use of amino acids will be uniformly included in the revision process of GB 14880, and the corresponding quality specification standards will be formulated in a timely manner.

Source: NHC and SAMR

Note: This article is compiled by Antion. Please indicate the source for reprint.