On July 28, 2022, the National Food Safety Standard Limits of Contaminants in Food (GB 2762-2022) was released, and the implementation date was June 30, 2023.The revision of the standard aims at protecting public health, focusing on the food pollutants that pose a greater risk to the health of residents in China and the food types that have a greater impact on residents' dietary exposure. Foodmate introduces the main revisions as follows.

1. What are contaminants in food?

Food contaminants are chemical hazardous substances that are produced in the process of food production (including crop planting, animal breeding), processing, packaging, storage, transportation, sales, etc., or brought in by environmental pollution and unintentionally added.

This standard specifies the limits of lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, tin, nickel, chromium, nitrite, nitrate, benzo [a] pyrene, N- dimethylnitrosamine, polychlorinated biphenyls and 3- chloro -1,2- propanediol in food.

In the standard, contaminants in food are produced under normal production conditions, rather than intentionally added chemical hazardous substances. It is illegal to intentionally add chemical hazardous substances, which are not within the scope of this standard.

2. Main revision contents

2.1 revised terms and definitions

The deletion of two comments on the definition of "edible part" does not change the definition of "edible part", just because the definition is clear and no comments are needed. It was deleted to make the standard format more standardized.

2.2 The application principle has been modified

 To solve the problems encountered in the implementation of GB 2762-2017 Application Principle 3.5 "Conversion of Pollutant Limit in Dry Products". Specific limit indicators have been set for dried vegetables and fruits. However, dried meat products, dried aquatic products and dried edible fungi are still subject to the provisions of Clause 3.5. In order to simplify the determination process of inspection results, if the pollutant content in dried products is lower than the pollutant limit requirements of fresh raw materials, it can be determined that they meet the limit requirements. If the limit of pollutants requires products, fresh raw materials are limited, and the test results are higher than the limit of fresh raw materials, dried meat products, dried aquatic products and dried edible fungi need to be converted.

2.3 Changes of main indicators

2.3.1 The lead limit in infant food, foods that children often eat (such as liquid milk, fruit juice, honey, etc.) and some food products (such as vegetable products and fruit products, etc.) has been adjusted.

2.3.2 The cadmium limit index of edible fungi and their products, aquatic animals and their products was revised. Added the cadmium limit index of foods for special dietary uses.

2.3.3 The mercury limit indicators of aquatic animals and their products, edible fungi and their products were revised.

2.3.4 The arsenic limit indicators of cereals and their products, edible fungi and their products, oils and fats and their products, and condiments were revised.

2.3.5 Revised the limit requirements of benzo [a] pyrene in some foods. Modify the category names of cereals and their products, and modify the limit value of benzo [a] pyrene to 2.0μg/kg.

 2.3.6 The limit requirements of PCBs in food were revised. The limit value of PCBs in aquatic products and their products was revised to 20μg/kg, Aquatic animal fats and oils are added to the limit of PCBs.

2.3.7 The inspection method of limited reference of pollutants in packaged drinking water was modified. The limit detection method of pollutants in packaged drinking water is modified to GB 8538 "National Food Safety Standard Test Method for Drinking Natural Mineral Water".

2.4 Amend and improve the description of food category (name) in Appendix A.

2.4.1 Single cream, cream and anhydrous cream are classified into "milk and dairy products" from "grease and its products", and accordingly, add the category of "milk and dairy products" to the limit of benzo [a] pyrene.

2.4.2 Add individual categories in Appendix A. For example, bean products explicitly include bean paste, adding "other bean products (including bean paste)"; Examples of "animal fats and oils" explicitly include krill oil, etc.

2.4.3 Strengthen the correspondence with the standard classification of food products, and adjust the names of individual classifications, the attribution of categories, the division of subcategories in categories or examples. For example, the classification names or related examples of infant formula were adjusted.

2.5 Other revisions

2.5.1 The words and positions of notes in Table 5 have been modified. To eliminate disputes, comments are moved to the header. "Tinned sheet" is changed to "tinned sheet steel", which is more standardized and the original intention remains unchanged.

2.5.2 Add the conversion ratio of liquid infant formula. Because the liquid infant formula is a diluted product, the limit should be lower than the limit index of "solid product" in proportion.

3. Summary

 "Revision and Changes of National food safety standard-Limits of contaminants in food" is a national food safety standard, which belongs to the mandatory standard. After the implementation of the standard, if other relevant provisions are inconsistent with this standard, it shall be implemented in accordance with this standard. Since the implementation of the new standard on June 30, 2023, the "Revision and Changes of National food safety standard-Limits of contaminants in food" (GB 2762-2017) and the first amendment will be invalidated. Food that has been produced before the implementation date of the new standard can continue to be sold within the product warranty period.

In order to facilitate food personnel to inquire the pollutant limit in food, Foodmate has developed and launched an inquiry database (in both Chinese and English) according to GB 2762-2022, which is now on line. Database link:http://2762.foodvip.net/