Seven ministries including the Ministry of Health jointly issued a circular recently calling on all relevant government departments to mobilise various industries and enterprises to clear up any food packaging materials on the market which may cause harm to human health. This move is aimed at cracking down on illegal acts of using toxic and hazardous substances, especially using scrap materials, to produce food packaging and containers. The seven ministries will soon publish a “list of substances allowed in food packaging materials” and a “list of substances prohibited in food packaging materials”.

To implement the Food Safety Law, regulate the production and use of food packaging materials as well as the additives, monomers, resins and coatings in food packaging materials, promote the healthy and orderly development of the food packaging materials industry, and ensure food safety, seven ministries – Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce, State Administration for Industry and Commerce, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, and State Food and Drug Administration – jointly issued the Circular on the Work of Clearing up Food Packaging Materials.

The circular calls on all relevant government departments to earnestly perform their duties, further tighten supervision, publicise the telephone number or email address for lodging complaints and reports against food packaging materials, and mobilise the public to report illegal acts such as unlawfully producing and using substandard food packaging materials, especially using scrap materials to produce food packaging. They must also act promptly on reports made by the public by conducting investigations and penalising offenders according to law.

According to the circular, the Ministry of Health will set up an expert group jointly with other departments to make scientific assessment of the materials submitted by the food industry and enterprises and draft a “list of substances allowed in food packaging materials” and a “list of substances prohibited in food packaging materials”. The lists will be announced to the public in stages. Meanwhile, steps would be taken to revise and improve the safety standards for food containers, packaging materials and the additives used.

The circular also calls on all departments to strengthen coordination and information sharing in order to carry out joint supervision. Entities and individuals which continue to use the substances on the prohibited list to produce and sell food packaging materials and containers after the publication of the list are subject to investigation and penalty according to law.