Food

Draft Food (Amendment No. X) Regulations 2021. Language(s): English. Number of pages: 7

SFA has completed a review of the Food Regulations and proposes the following amendments:

a)    To allow the use of new food additives and ingredients:

(i)    The following new types of steviol glycosides as permitted sweetening agents (under Regulation 18). These will be accorded the same provisions currently allowed for steviol glycosides in the Thirteenth Schedule of the Food Regulations:

·         Rebaudioside D produced by enzymatic conversion of purified stevia leaf extract using the enzymes UDP-glucosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.17) and sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13), produced by genetically modified strains of Pichia pastoris;

·         Rebaudioside E produced by enzymatic conversion of purified stevia leaf extract using the enzymes UDP-glucosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.17) and sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13), produced by genetically modified strains of Pichia pastoris;

·         Rebaudioside AM produced by enzymatic conversion of stevioside extracted from stevia leaf using the enzymes UDP-glucosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.17) and sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13), produced by genetically modified strains of Escherichia coli K-12 W311;

(ii)   Sodium polyacrylate in instant noodles (Regulation 55), in an amount not exceeding 2000 ppm;

(iii) 2'-fucosyllactose/difucosyllactose (2'-FL/DFL) mixture, for addition to infant formula (Regulation 252(6)), in an amount not exceeding:

·         160 mg per 100 ml (in the case of infant formula for infants not more than six months of age);

·         120 mg per 100 ml (in the case of infant formula for infants more than six months of age but not more than 12 months of age);

The proportion of 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) in the mixture is at least 75% (w/w) and the proportion of difucosyllactose (DFL) in the mixture is at least 5% (w/w);

(iv) Lacto-N-tetraose (LNT) for addition to infant formula (Regulation 252(6)), in an amount not exceeding:

·         80 mg per 100 ml (in the case of infant formula for infants not more than six months of age);

·         60 mg per 100 ml (in the case of infant formula for infants more than six months of age but not more than 12 months of age);

(v)  Sucrose oligoesters, type I and type II (INS 473a) as a permitted general purpose food additive (Part 1 of Eighth Schedule), at levels in accordance with good manufacturing practice;

b)    To extend the use of existing food additives:

(i)    Benzoates (referring to benzoic acid and its sodium and potassium salts (INS 210, 211 and 212)) and sorbates (sorbic acid and its sodium, potassium and calcium salts (INS 200, 201, 202 and 203)), in the food category "Desserts, fruit based, milk and cream" in Part I of the Fourth Schedule, in amounts not exceeding 1,000 ppm (as benzoic acid) and 1,000 ppm (as sorbic acid) respectively, when the food product contains either benzoates or sorbates as the sole preservative;

(ii)   Steviol glycosides in the following nine food categories in the Thirteenth Schedule:

Food categories                                                                         Maximum

                                                                                             amount (ppm)

Semi-preserved fish and fish products, including                            100

molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms (applicable to

sweet and sour products only)

Fully preserved, including canned or fermented fish and                 100

fish products, including molluscs, crustaceans and

echinoderms (applicable to sweet and sour products only)

Mustards                                                                                        130

Soups and broths, including mixes                                                  50

Cocoa-based spreads, including fillings                                           330

Bread and bakery products, and mixes for these products              160

Flour confectionery products and mixes for these                           330

products (applicable to products for special nutritional

use only)

Semi-preserved caviar and other fish roe products                         100

Vegetable, nut and seed pulps and preparations                             330

a)    To revise the maximum limits for heavy metals in food:

Heavy Metal                       Food Commodity                     Revised Maximum Limit

Arsenic                   Fat spreads and blended spreads                     0.1 ppm

                                                                                      (new category "Fat spreads

                                                                                          and blended spreads"

                                                                                            in Tenth Schedule)

Lead                       Fat spreads and blended spreads                    0.04 ppm

                                                                                      (new category "Fat spreads

                                                                                          and blended spreads"

                                                                                            in Tenth Schedule)

Cadmium                                      Salt                                           0.5 ppm

                                                                                             (Regulation 31(5))

Mercury                                        Salt                                           0.1 ppm

                                                                                             (Regulation 31(3))

d)    To require that when a food contains a permitted food additive (Regulation 15(2)), the purity of the food additive must conform to the specifications in the Food Regulations. Where it is not so provided, then the purity of the permitted food additive must conform with the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives' (JECFA's) specifications.