Blacklist of harmful food additives on the anvil

By Lan Tian (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-05 07:08

The Ministry of Health (MOH) will issue a blacklist of substances that help food taste better or make them appear more nutritious but could be toxic or harmful in other ways.

"The blacklist will include non-food substances, especially toxic or harmful substances, which are likely to be used in food products," Su Zhi, deputy director of the health supervision bureau of the MOH, said on a China Central Television program on Thursday.

"The MOH is working with related departments on the blacklist that would be updated constantly. We will conduct stricter tests on blacklisted substances while checking food production lines," he said.

Maintaining standards is very important for food quality and safety and there are several in the country, but they are not necessarily consistent with one another.

The MOH has decided to set specific quality standards for the diary industry first, he said. And after introducing a food safety law, it would start modifying the existing food safety standards.

Ren Aisheng, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences' institute of agricultural economics and development, said: "Such a blacklist could protect consumers' rights better and prevent any more food scares."

Jin Biao, vice-president of the Yili Group, said the company had no idea about how the blacklist would be prepared. "We have not heard about the measure yet. But we will strictly follow the laws and regulations," he said.

In September, products of dairy giants such as Sanlu Group in Hebei province and Yili in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region were found to have excess levels of melamine. The chemical makes milk appear higher in protein but can cause urinary tract ailments, including kidney stones.