Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the National Health Commission and the General Administration of China Customs jointly issued a severe measure!

Strictly Crack Down

In order to further strengthen food safety supervision, maintain the physical and mental health and life safety of people, and purify the market consumption environment, on January 29, 2022, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the National Health Commission, and the General Administration of China Customs jointly issued the Notice on Investigating and Punishing Illegal Acts of Production and Operation of Foods Containing Gold and Silver Foil Powder, requiring severe crackdown illegal acts such as the production and operation of foods containing gold and silver foil powder, false propaganda that gold and silver foil powder is edible, and imported foods containing gold and silver foil powder.

Keep under Strict Supervision

The Notice requires that customs at all levels must strictly supervise the safety of imported foods, urge food importers to implement their main responsibilities, that is, prohibit importing foods containing gold and silver foil powder. If imported, the sale should be stopped immediately.

Q1: Why is it not allowed to sell foods containing gold and silver foil powder?

In recent years, in order to attract customers, many businesses have added to or decorated food with gold (silver) foil and gold (silver) powder (hereinafter referred to as gold and silver foil powder), becoming a consumer gimmick! For example: gold foil wine, gold foil cake and gold foil ice cream. However, these foods containing gold and silver foil powder actually have great food safety risks.

Q2: Does gold and silver foil powder belong to food additive?

According to the National Food Safety Standard Standard for the Uses of Food Additives (GB 2760-2014), the definition of food additive is: an artificially chemosynthetic or natural substance to be added to foods in order to improve food quality, color, fragrance and taste, and for the purpose of preservation and processing technology. Food additives also include flavor substance for food, gum-based substances in the Paste base candy and processing aids. Gold and silver foil powder is not within the scope of the definition of food additives.

Q3: Is it legal to add gold and silver foil powder to foods?

According to Article 34 of the Food Safety Law, production and trading foods that are produced from non-edible materials, or from chemical substances or harmful substances other than food additives are prohibited. Therefore, it is illegal to use gold and silver foil powder to produce food or add it to foods and it does not comply with the Food Safety Law.

Q4: Risk warnings about gold and silver foil powder:

Intake of gold and silver has no nutritional value

From a nutritional point of view, gold and silver are not essential nutrients for the human body, and intake of gold and silver has no nutritional value. Foods containing gold and silver foil powder can only visually and psychologically make people feel that the food is more high-end, purely to make people feel a "rich" sense of vanity.

Risk of heavy metal poisoning

There is a risk of heavy metal poisoning when eating foods containing gold and silver foil powder, which is harmful to health! Consumers should improve their awareness of self-protection and not be fooled by the gorgeous appearance and false propaganda of foods containing gold and silver foil powder.

Source: 12360 Customs Hotline

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