China to Ban Additives in Fresh Juice

China's State Food and Drug Administration (SDA) has released a set of draft regulations banning the use of food additives in fresh juices.

According to the regulations on the management of fresh juice in catering establishments, which were published on the SDA's website seeking public opinion, fresh juices refer to directly edible beverages that are made of fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals or beans in accordance with food safety requirements.

Further, beverages made from concentrated pulp, vegetables or fruit powders should not be labeled as fresh juices, according to the rules.
Banning the use of recycled food as ingredients, the rules also specify that rotten or musty vegetables and fruits, or those with wormholes, may not be used in the manufacturing of fresh juice.

According to the regulations, fresh juices must be preserved in capped bottles and must be consumed in less than two hours after being manufactured.

In addition, the rules ban people from being employed in fresh juice manufacturing plants if they have digestive infectious diseases such as diarrhea and typhoid fever, or other illnesses that might impair food safety such as active tuberculosis.

The new rules also lay down various details such as manufacturers must wear masks covering their mouths while making fresh juice and their hands must be disinfected prior to their work.

Also on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health issued a plan to intensify the food safety campaign by ordering supervising departments to launch "full-scale" inspections to prevent the illegal use of food additives or non-edible materials.

What's more, a number of companies are to be named for illegally using food additives or non-edible materials, said the plan, without offering further details.