INBOX NEWS April 2020 - Global Food Safety REGULATIONS

In this compendium we present our selection of food safety regulations that were published in the last 30 days, divided by country. Overall this month we have updates from more than 18 countries, plus some special sections on European Union Regulations, Eurasian Regulations as well as International food safety regulations.

Brazil

Public Consultation No. 811, of April 6, 2020, establishes the technical requirements for the identification of an ingredient as integral and its emphasis on the labelling of food containing cereals. Read more on Digicomply

The revision of Identity and Quality Standards for quinine tonic water, compound drink, tea, soft drink, soda, and, when applicable, the respective solid and liquid preparations has been postponed. With Ordinance No. 90, of April 14, 2020, The Public Consultation Revision of the Normative Instructions No. 17, 18 and 19 was extended for another 75 days. Read more on Digicomply

China

The certification market in China has been disturbed with incidents of false certifications, and even the buying and selling of certificates, that have caused economic losses to enterprises and affected the international trading of anti-epidemic products (such as masks and other personal protective equipment). To protect this market the Standard for the implementation of special rectification for certification activities of anti-epidemic products was issued on April 3, 2020, followed by an Information guide on certification, that clarifies export conditions for the EU and the US markets. Read more on Digicomply

A Notice No. 42 on follow-up work of fasting wild animals, issued on April 8, supports the Decision of the National People's Congress, which comprehensively prohibits hunting, trading, transportation, and consumption of wild animals. Read more on Digicomply

In the previous period, the Chinese government issued a summary of laws and regulations related to wild animals, and a compilation of relevant legislation to its market supervision, in response to the new coronary pneumonia epidemic and regaining control of the sector.

A new biofertilizer mega-market has been set, with the involvement of the important local corporations, including the developer of intelligent soil restoration technology. Bioorganic and microbial fertilizers are already in use for sowing this year’s crops, by local farmers. Read more on Digicomply

According to the new GB 7718 General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods, the negative content claims on so-called Clean-label products are likely to be banned in China. The main changes of this parameter conditions that statements such as “none”, ”free”, and their synonyms cannot be applied for food additives, pollutants, and substances that are not allowed to be used in food, nor use the of words such as "not added", "not used". Instead, the content of corresponding ingredients or components shall be indicated as zero "0". Before there were no limits on such claims. It is interesting to mention that “Non-GMO” claims are explicitly forbidden.

Moreover, ingredients which are less than 2% of the overall composition will also need to be stated on the label, without conditioned descending order. Read more on Digicomply

Denmark

The new indicator value has been set for Fluorinated substances in paper and cardboard food contact materials (FCM), to 20 microgram organic fluorine per gram of paper, that companies can use to measure background pollution. The indicator value does not present a legal limit value, and it is still allowed to use material with a higher indicator value, as long as the content does not migrate to food, and food safety can be guaranteed. Read more on Digicomply

Eurasian Economic Union

Eurasian Economic Union issued a series of regulation in response to covid-19 outbreak situation, including Order of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council of “April 10”, 2020 No.6 on measures aimed at ensuring economic stability in pandemic circumstances; Decisions of the Eurasian Economic Commision Council, as №33 of April 3, 2020, on approval of the list of goods of critical import, №36 of April 3, 2020 "On Amending the Rules for the Determination of the origin of goods from developing and least developed countries and about features of submission of certificate of origin of commodity in the context of the spread of coronavirus infections 2019-nCov"; Decision of “31” March 2020 No.42 "On making changes to the list of goods that are essential for the domestic market and temporary bans may be introduced or quantitative export restrictions", Decision of the Commission College №43 of March 31, 2020 "On amendments to the decision of April 21, 2015 No. 30 “On non-tariff regulation measures”, and others.

European Union (EU)

To support the production and food supply of certain dairy products (cheese, butter, skimmed milk powder), which was heavily impacted by the current COVID-19 pandemic measures, the EU implements aid scheme, under the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/591 of April 30, 2020, that involves opening exceptional private storage of a temporary character, and fixed financial help. Read more on Digicomply

Implementing regulation (EU) 2020/585 of 27 April 2020 will assure compliance with pesticide MRLs through the multiannual control program of the Union for 2021, 2022, and 2023. Read more on Digicomply

Chia seed (Salvia hispanica) powders from April 6, 2020, are being registered as novel foods under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. Read more on Digicomply

The regulatory agencies for the EU Parliament and the EU Council, on April 17, 2020, have moved towards the final adoption of the legislative proposal from the EMFF (the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund) to support fishermen during the COVID-19 crisis. Read more on Digicomply

France

National Committee for Dairy, Agri-food and Forest Appellations Standing Committee, on April 3, 2020, provided a summary of decisions taken from I. N. A. O. amending standards of several PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) to cope with the COVID-19 emergency. These temporary amendments in accordance with Article 13 refer to products specification, such as cheeses, poultry, and certain vegetables. They all aim at improving food safety and food health for these categories. Read more on Digicomply

ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety) warns against the consumption of dietary supplements that might disrupt the immune response associated with the infection with CA-SARS-Cov-2. The ANSES opinion covers plants identified as counterproductive include birch, meadowsweet, willow, etc. containing derivatives of salicylic acid (aspirin analogs), and those with anti-inflammatory effects which may act like NSAIDs, such as turmeric (also known as Curcuma), echinacea, harpagophytum (so-called the Devil's claw), licorice, etc.

Furthermore, the ANSM has removed from over-the-counter presentation in pharmacies medicines containing paracetamol or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in pharmacies during this period. Read more on Digicomply

Indonesia

Guidelines for the production and distribution of processed goods in an emergency state of coronavirus outbreak have been published on April 30, 2020, in order to safeguard public health and reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. Instructions were provided for food sanitation, personnel, limitation of physical distance (physical distancing), Communication, Information, and Education (IEC), Distribution and Retail, Protocols for visitors, compliance monitoring. Read more on Digicomply

Circular letter No.5 of 2020 provides information on the temporary exclusion of components Fe, Zn, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, and Folic Acid to premix, due to supply difficulties. Nevertheless, the label statement that a product contains these components remains valid until the validity period of this circular letter is over. Read more on Digicomply

Circular letter No.6 refers to a similar situation with supply stability and the content of vitamin A in Palm Oil. Read more on Digicomply

Regulation No. 58 simplifying import licensing was issued on April 8, 2020. Read more on Digicomply

International

A World Bank Report on commodities prices and markets impacted by the COVID-19, has been released for April 2020. Read more on Digicomply

In order to protect domestic supplies, different countries have suspended exports of certain food commodities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more on Digicomply

On April 21, 2020, a joint statement was issued at the Extraordinary G20 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting, which refers to global coordination responses on mitigation and recurrence prevention actions against COVID-19. The G20 initiative is monitoring world food supplies and price developments with the expert support of ten international organizations, under its Agricultural Market Information System. Read more on Digicomply

The FAO established an open-access platform (FAPDA) on April 8, 2020, of policy briefs and decisions shared between countries around the world, that aims to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food and agricultural systems, specifically to guarantee food safety, correct methods for food retail and supply and more general information. Read more on Digicomply

In response to the rapid food environment changes, caused by the outbreak of Coronavirus, the United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN) has gathered a resource list on nutrition and food systems to support consumers’ knowledge of dietary practices and increase public health during this period. The UNSCN confirms that this list will be continually updated. Read more on Digicomply

The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) received notifications on epizootic situations of especially dangerous animal diseases in the world from April 4 to 10, 2020. Read more on Digicomply

Italy

The import of Italian rice to China has been approved. According to GAFTA (Grain and Feed Trade Association) the Italian rice is qualified to be exported to China from the date of protocol issued. Read more on Digicomply

Italy’s parliament has received notification from the European Commission, in regards to the Ministerial decree which extends the national provisions defining the rules for indicating the country of origin, beyond April 1, 2020. Due to the exceptional difficulty that businesses are currently experiencing under the COVID-19 outbreak, the implementation of EU regulation 775 of 2018 on labeling is shifted. Under notification 2020/231/I the EU has approved using current labels until stocks of packaging and labels are completely exhausted. Read more on Digicomply

Regional Councilor for the Department of Agriculture of Emilia-Romagna, Alessio Mammi, on April 19, 2020, proposed immediate assistance to this region’s fishery sector. Already in a fragile state, it is experiencing difficulties due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on economic activities. Besides implementing the measures of the European Fisheries Fund that will assure financial liquidity of the businesses and general simplification of procedures, of key importance would be the amendment of the General Regulation on European funds (1303 of 2013), according to the Region. The amendment would allow the inclusion of advances in payment applications, which at the moment is not possible. Read more on Digicomply

Japan

The Cabinet Office issued an integrated version of Food labelling standards under Ordinance No. on April 24, 2020. The document includes detailed information on rules and criteria for food business operators, processed and fresh food, additives, functional claims, conditions of use of recombinant DNA technology (GMO products), etc. Read more on Digicomply

Korea

Amendment proposal to the Food Additives Standards, in Publication No. 2020-157, was published by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of Korea. The proposed amendment addresses expansion of natural food additives recognition, improved ingredient test methods for the standards, and better definitions of the ingredients themselves. Comments for the proposed changes are due by June 15, 2020. Read more on Digicomply

Russia

On April 16, 2020, Rosselkhoznadzor provided an explanation on temporary restrictions on imports from China and transit through Russia of living aquatic organisms, removing the HS codes for these products. Read more on Digicomply

Fresh garlic and ginger imports sharply increased at the beginning of April 2020, as per the Rosselkhoznadzor records. Read more on Digicomply

Resolution No. 348 “On conducting an experiment on the territory of the Russian Federation for labelling by means of identification of packaged water” describes the project that will be carried out between April 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021. Read more on Digicomply

The scientists of the Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry have attained the first cloned calf in the country. The selection of the genetic material was performed in vitro, with the highest productivity animals donor criteria, aiming to enhance the quality and characteristics, such as disease resistance and milk composition.

The experiments on attaining low allergenic milk by removing the gene for synthesizing problematic protein has already been performed. In the Program for the Development of Genetic Technologies in the Russian Federation for 2019-2027, it includes genomic editing for use in agriculture and livestock breeding. Read more on Digicomply

Detection and identification of Enterobacteriaceae in feed regulatory document preparation has begun by the FSBI Central Scientific and Methodological Veterinary Laboratory Team, with the main goal of achieving the microbiological safety control of feed, the raw materials and feed additives. Read more on Digicomply

Singapore

Part of Singapore's food security strategy, to solve the emphasized need for local food production caused by the pandemic situation, is the use of the alternative farmland, such as empty industrial zones and the roofs of car parks. The government plan involves an investment of $21 million for the production of eggs, fish, and leafy vegetables. Read more on Digicomply

A patented zero-waste process has been developed by the research team of the NUS Food Science and Technology. This innovative solution to reduce bread waste applies a novel fermentation process to surplus bread to reuse it as a healthy beverage with gut-friendly bacteria. As a commercial realization of these products, the creators are hoping to fill a gap in the non-dairy probiotic retail food and beverage market. Read more on Digicomply

Taiwan

Taiwan’s FDA (Food and Drug Administration) adopted an amendment to the Standards for Specification, Scope, Application, and Limitation of Food Additives, On April 14. Read more on Digicomply

Tanzania

Tanzania's regulatory agencies, specifically the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures issued a Notification of Code of hygienic practices for spices and dried aromatic plants on April 28, 2020, with a proposed date of adoption for July 2020. Read more on Digicomply

Furthermore, the Committee has also issued also individual proposal drafts for requirements, methods of sampling and testing, such as Vanilla, Dried Lemongrass leaves, Coriander seeds, Ginger paste, Baobab fruit powder, Tamarind (ukwaju) pulp, but also for categories such as Dehydrated soup, canned soups and broths, Mayonnaise. Comments are due and amendments 60 days from the date of circulation of the notification.

Ukraine

Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine № 2646 has been approved, which regulates MRLs of veterinary preparations in foodstuffs of animal origin. The order came into force three months after publication, on April 28, 2020. Read more on Digicomply

United Kingdom (UK)

The Public Bill Committee has reported the Agriculture Bill with amendments to the House. The document is now at the report stage when amendments are still allowed to be made before the final date of the announcement. The summary of Agriculture Bill 2019-21 refers to expenditure for certain agricultural purposes, involving direct payments provisions in response to current exceptional market conditions and Brexit related regulation changes requests.

The Environment organizations’ so-called “public money for public goods” move considers the new Agriculture Bill as the most important first step towards restoring the natural environment alongside farming and assuring the conditions of supply chain fairness. Read more on Digicomply

From Monday 20 April onwards, the new prevention contingency plan for the meat industry has been implemented by the FSA. Its measures include steps in case FSA staff resources should be reduced and would assure functionality of official controls in slaughterhouses and game handling establishments. Read more on Digicomply

United States of America (USA)

The guidance for meat and poultry processing workers and employers was issued on April 26, 2020, by the CDC and OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), due to raised concerns relating to multiple outbreaks of COVID-19 in these types of production facilities. Read more on Digicomply

Another supporting document on safe food handling, food hygiene and employee health for the food retail sector has been issued by the FDA for the US government. Read more on Digicomply

April’s publication of the USDA AMS analyzes the local production and prices of poultry, meat, and eggs, as well as their trade on international markets. Read more on Digicomply

The comment period has been extended for ninety days for the proposed rule on general principles of modernization of food standards. The comment period is now due to July 20, 2020. Read more on Digicomply

The CFR has issued a document on new approved uses of drugs and combinations of drugs in animal feeds. The combination of uses are specified within this regulation, and unless specifically reported in it, can be considered as not approved. Read more on Digicomply

The expansion of the Frozen Foods Market in the United States, of the food industry has been significant in recent weeks, as per the new consumer survey, commissioned by the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI). It records an increase in sales, as well as the number, type, and satisfaction of consumers in retail food. The study suggests a lasting rising trend of this market category, beyond social momentums such as the popularity with millennials, or the impact of the ongoing pandemic situation. Read more on Digicomply

Echinacea products made a record sales increase this year, confirming the rising trend of recent years. This sharp spike in demand makes them, currently, the highest-selling botanical immune-enhancer products. However, this can also cause food supply bottlenecks, as well as the price increases, as per the suppliers. Read more on Digicomply

Uzbekistan

With the resolution of the State Customs Committee, Presidential decree No. PF-5969 on the priority measures to mitigate the impact of the global crisis on sectors of the economy, introduced a mechanism of import custom clearance for food through the expeditious issuance of permits. Read more on Digicomply