News & Insights

BCI daily tracks changing global chemical, additive & ingredient food standards. Last year, BCI’s reg intelligence team tracked over 2300 foreign technical regulations—well over 9 a day.

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On July 13, Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Published Notice No. 2018-54 (link in Korean) revising their food regulations, including numerous MRL changes.

MRL changes from this amendment will be added to the Global MRL Database on July 16, 2018.

On March 16, Nepal's Ministry of Agricultural Development notified the WTO of its proposed maximum limits of mycotoxin in food products.

Comments are due by June 1, 2017.

On September 22, South Africa’s Department of Health notified the WTO of amended regulations relating to maximum levels of fungus-produced toxins in foodstuffs.

The regulations were proposed to go into effect on September 5, 2016.

On September 7, the Philippines’ Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) notified the WTO of its draft Philippine National Standard (PNS) for the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed.

Comments are due by November 11, 2016. 

On July 5, Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare notified the WTO of its Draft of Sanitation Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food. The draft amends or establishes tolerances for various heavy metals, mycotoxins, contaminants, and toxins in foods.

The final date for comments is September 3, 2016.

On May 4, Health Canada published the List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating Substances in Foods, which includes the regulatory maximum limits (MLs) that have been established for contaminants in certain foods. The list consolidates information from B.01.046 and B.01.047 of Division 1, and Table 1, Division 15 of the Food and Drug Regulations.

Additional MLs for other contaminants in foods are available in the List of Maximum Levels for Various Chemical Contaminants in Foods.

On February 2, Thailand notified the WTO that its National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS) adopted a standard regarding Peanut Kernel: Maximum Level of Aflatoxin in the Official Gazette dated 7 January 2016.

The standard enters into force on January 6, 2017.

On January 14, Chile's Ministry of Health notified the WTO of its draft amendment regarding maximum limits for arsenic and mercury in food. The proposed list is much shorter, removing limits applicable to previously regulated foods that have been removed.

The final date for comments is March 14, 2016.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently gazetted the following standards regarding maximum levels for contaminants:

• Standards for Melamine in Milk and Milk Products
• Standards for Biotoxins Limit in Fish and Fish Products

These standards were initially proposed in July 2015.