Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Health Commission of China have publicly released the National Food Safety Standard for the Use of Food Additives (GB 2760-2024) (hereinafter referred to as the new national standard). The new national standard is a revision of the 2014 version and will be officially implemented on February 8, 2025.

It is reported that the new national standard has revised the definition of food additives, and according to the Food Safety Law implemented in 2015, the definition of food additives has added content that includes nutritional fortifiers. The management of new variety licensing, compound food nutritional fortifiers, and other food nutritional fortifiers can refer to the relevant management regulations for food additives. According to the new national standard, food additives are artificially synthesized or natural substances added to food to improve its quality, color, aroma, and taste, as well as to meet the needs of preservation, preservation, and processing technology. Food flavorings, basic agent substances in gum based candies, processing aids for the food industry, and nutritional fortifiers are also included.

Based on the latest evaluation results of the safety and process necessity of food additives, the new national standard has revised the regulations for the use of certain types of food additives and modified the requirements for the use of certain food additives.

The new national standard also revised the use principles of food spices and essence. To avoid the misuse of food flavorings, the new national standard further clarifies the requirements for the use of food flavorings with other food additive functions or other food uses.