Recently, the National Health and Nutrition Commission issued 27 national food safety standards for vegetable oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and mineral water, among which the provisional limit value for cadmium in cereals and supplementary foods for infants and young children is explicitly set at 0.06 mg/kg. , A country (China) regulates the cadmium limit in cereal supplements for infants and young children, and further meets regulatory and production needs to better protect the health of infants and young children.
New standards for complementary foods for infants and young children
Industry experts pointed out that cadmium is a contaminant that is present in the environment. Usually cadmium in food does not cause acute poisoning, but long-term large intake may have potential chronic safety risks. At present, China has formulated cereals, meat , The cadmium limit standard in dairy and other bulk foods, since the publication of 27 national food safety standards, cadmium in cereal supplement foods for infants and young children in China has limited standards. However, there are still many countries that do not have cereal supplements for infants and young children. Cadmium limit regulations, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, etc.
It is understood that supplementary foods for infants and young children refer to infants and young children (0-3 years old) who continue breastfeeding. At the same time, foods added to meet the needs of comprehensive nutrition are more commonly found in the market, including rice flour for infants and young children, noodles and infants. Children's biscuits, etc. With the advancement of the two-child policy in China, the awareness of healthy diets for infants and young children in Chinese families has increased, and the infant food supplement market in China is in a rapid development stage. The huge market potential has attracted many companies rushing into the baby food supplement industry. Therefore, the market calls for the guidance of relevant policies and regulations to achieve sustained and healthy development.
The author understands that at present, China has standards for supplementary foods for infants and young children. The “Details on the Examination of Infants and Young Children's Supplementary Food Production License (2017 Edition)”, “National Food Safety Standard for Infants and Young Children”, “National Food Safety Standards for Infant and Young Children Cans” Supplementary Foods” are all mandatory national standards for food safety and have the same mandatory effect as the law.
According to relevant personnel, although there are differences in standard provisions for supplementary foods for infants and young children, it is required to regulate the production license conditions for supplementary foods for infants and young children to a certain extent. Strict requirements have been put forward in terms of production sites, processing facilities, equipment layout and process flow. Production license requirements, which put forward higher requirements for infant food production and processing enterprises.
From the time the raw material enters the factory to the completion of the finished product, strict requirements have been made. Enterprises need to check the raw materials when selecting food ingredients to avoid incorporation of pesticide residues. Excessive heavy metals and cadmium affect secondary food quality. At the same time, before the finished product, Supplementary food related nutrients are tested, such as vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin D, some B vitamins), trace elements (calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus), etc. Many testing agencies on the market are equipped with advanced technologies. Food testing instruments can also detect whether the cadmium in food supplements exceeds the standard while detecting the influencing ingredients, and try their best to ensure the quality and safety of food supplements to meet the requirements of relevant national standards.
We know that food production and processing need to go through many steps. Even if a cleansing device is installed in the workshop, food supplements will inevitably be affected by other pollutants, so the sterilization process is indispensable. Currently, there are many kinds of sterilization equipment on the market. Such as pasteurization, microwave sterilization equipment, ultraviolet sterilization, etc., companies can choose the appropriate sterilization machinery according to process needs.
The author was informed that, in general, canned food supplements have undergone a rigorous sterilization process (high-temperature sterilization or low-temperature pasteurization) after filling. However, pasteurization at low temperatures is not only capable of eradicating bacteria compared to high-temperature sterilization. Contaminants, extend the shelf life, and will not affect the taste, color, and nutrient content of food supplements to ensure product quality and safety.
All in all, with the emphasis on the safety of supplementary foods for infants and young children, and the improvement of relevant national standards, this is both a challenge and an opportunity for food processing companies. It is worth noting that the first step for infant food supplement companies is to use Food processing technology, the power of equipment, ensure that the products produced meet the national standards for infant food supplements.