Foodmate News: 2020 July 10, the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center released "National Food Safety Standard Cereal Supplement Food for Infants and Young Children (draft for comments)" (hereinafter referred to as "draft"). Foodmate will sort out and analyze the major changes in the draft and the currently valid version.


1. Modified the expression of scope of application

The draft is applicable to cereal supplement foods for infants and young children from 6 to 36 months of age. The expression of the scope of application has been adjusted without substantial changes.

2. Modify the content and scope of raw materials

According to the definition of cereal supplements for infants and young children, the expression of millet has been added to the main raw materials.

Combined with the cereal supplements sold in the market and the relevant requirements of major international countries/regions, the proportion of dry matter of cereals was changed to 50% or more of the total dry matter composition of cereals.

The requirements for raw materials for cereal supplements for infants and young children clearly state that “honey should not be used”. The reason may be that honey is susceptible to contamination by botulinum, which has a greater risk to the health of infants and young children.

3. Adjust the classification of other cereal supplement foods for infants and young children

Revise the description of product classification. Biscuits, molar sticks, canned ready-to-eat cereal supplements and other products are classified in other infant cereal supplements.


4. Adjust nutrient composition index

In order to ensure the nutrition and health safety of infants and young children, combining the level of infant food supplement production technology in China and the relevant laws and standards of other countries , the draft has increased the upper limit of some nutrients and increased the sugar limit. The specific changes are as follows:

a) Because vitamin C helps to increase the absorption rate of iron and relieve anemia in infants and young children, adjust vitamin C from "optional nutritional component index" to "basic nutritional component index" and set an upper limit of 1.4 ~7.65 (5.9~32) mg/100 kJ (mg/100 kcal).

b) Vitamin B1 and calcium in the basic nutrient composition index, and vitamin B2, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and biotin in the optional nutrient composition index are provided upper limits.

c) Added the requirements for the nicotinamide and magnesium indicators in the optional nutritional component index.

d) Change the expression of the addition limit of carbohydrates to the addition limit of sucrose, fructose, glucose, glucose syrup. At the same time lower the limit value, the limit of adding one or more of them is ≤0.6 g/100 kJ (2.5 g/100 kcal).

e) Moreover, adjustments were made to the annotations of basic nutritional content indicators: the energy coefficient of dietary fiber (8 kJ/g) was changed, the description of the calculation method of carbohydrate content was added, and the energy value requirements of canned ready-to-eat cereal supplementary foods (≥335(80)kJ(kcal)/100g) were added.

5. Revised the hazardous substance limit and pathogenic bacteria requirements

In accordance with the requirements of the "Principles for the Construction of National Food Safety Standard System", the limits of pollutants, mycotoxins, and pathogenic bacteria quote the general standards.

In the microbiological limit requirements, the limit requirement for Salmonella was deleted. The requirement that "canned ready-to-eat cereal supplementary foods for infants and young children should meet the commercial sterility requirements for canned foods" was added.

6. Others

The "urease activity in products containing soybean ingredients" was adjusted to "urease activity in products using soy or soybean products as protein sources", and the urease activity was negative.

Adding an expression of carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen can be used as packaging media.

The National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center is soliciting opinions on the National Food Safety Standard Cereal Supplement Food for Infants and Young Children (Draft for Comments). The deadline is 17 July. Foodmate will continue to pay attention to the revision progress and release it in time.

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Business Division of Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance of Global Foodmate provides food standards & regulations research, labelling compliance consulting/Chinese label design, industry public opinion monitoring and analysis, registration services (of Infant formula, FSMP, Health food, Novel Food Ingredients, Novel Food Additives, New Varieties of Food-Related Products and Overseas manufacturers of imported food) and other comprehensive food safety solutions for domestic and overseas enterprises and institutions in food industry. 

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