National Standard of the People’s Republic of China

GB 480.1-2016

Issue Date: October 19,2016 Effective on: October 19,2017

Issued by the People's Republic of China

National Health and Family Planning Commission

National Standard for Food Safety

General safety requirements for food contact

materials and articles

(Unofficial translation)

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National Standard for Food Safety

General safety requirements for food contact materials and articles

1 Scope

This standard specifies the basic requirements, limit requirements, compliance principles, test methods,

traceability and product information for food contact materials and articles.

2 Terms and definitions

2.1 Food contact materials and articles

Various materials and articles, under the normal condition of uses, that are already or expected to be in

contact with Food and Food Additives (collectively called “food” in following), or their components may

transfer into food, including the packaging materials, containers tools and equipment used during the

manufacturing, processing, packaging, transportation, storage, retailing and use of food, and the printing

inks, adhesive and lubricants etc that may directly or indirect contact food. Detergents, disinfectants and

facility for public plumbing of water are not included.

2.2 Composite material and articles

Two or more layers of food contact materials and articles composed from different or identical materials

through bonding, thermal melting or other methods.

2.3 Combined material and articles

Food contact materials and products made up of two or more types of different or identical materials

through assembling, welding, inlay, etc.

2.4 Overall migration

The total quantity of non-volatile substances that migrate from Food Contact Materials & Articles into

food simulants that are in contact with them, expressed as milligram of non-volatile substances migrated

from Food Contact Materials & Articles into per kilogram of food simulants (mg/Kg) or milligram of non-

volatile substances migrated from Food Contact Materials & Articles per sq decimeter of contact surface

(mg/dm2). For Food Contact Materials & Articles designated for baby use, expressed as mg/Kg.

2.5 Overall migration limit (OML)

The total quantity of non-volatile substances allowed to migrate from Food Contact Materials & Articles

into food simulants that are in contact with them, expressed as milligram of non-volatile substances migrated

from Food Contact Materials & Articles into per kilogram of food simulants (mg/Kg) or milligram of non-

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volatile substances allowed to migrate from Food Contact Materials & Articles per sq decimeter of contact

surface (mg/dm2). For Food Contact Materials & Articles designated for baby use, expressed as mg/Kg.

2.6 Maximum Dosage

The maximum quantity that a specific kind or type of substance can be added in the production of food

contact materials and articles, expressed as mass fraction (%).

2.7 Specific migration

The quantity of a specific kind or type of substance that migrate into food or food simulants that will be

in contact with food contact materials and articles, expressed as milligram substance migrated from Food

Contact Materials & Articles into per kilogram of food simulants (mg/Kg) or milligram substance migrated

from Food Contact Materials & Articles per sq decimeter of surface area in contact with food or food

simulants (mg/dm2). For Food Contact Materials & Articles designated for baby use, expressed as mg/Kg.

2.8 Specific migration limit (SML)

The quantity of a specific kind or type of substance allowed to migrate into food or food simulants that

will be in contact with food contact materials and articles, expressed as milligram substance migrated from

Food Contact Materials & Articles into per kilogram of food simulants (mg/Kg) or milligram substance

migrated from Food Contact Materials & Articles per sq decimeter of surface area in contact with food or

food simulants (mg/dm2).

2.9 Total specific migration

The total quantities of two or more additives that migrate into food or food simulants that will be in

contact with the food contact materials and articles, is expressed as a milligram of specific kind or type of

the migrating substances (or functional groups) per kilogram of food or food simulants (mg/Kg), or

expressed as a milligram of specific kind or type of the migrating substances (or functional groups) per

square decimeter of the surface area of the food contact materials and articles in contact with food or food

simulants.

2.10 Total Specific migration limit (SML(T))

The maximum quantities of two or more additives that are allowed to migrate into food or food simulants

that will be in contact with the food contact materials and articles, is expressed as a milligram of specific

kind or type of the migrating substances (or functional groups) per kilogram of food or food simulants

(mg/Kg), or expressed as a milligram of specific kind or type of the migrating substances (or functional

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groups) per square decimeter of the surface area of the food contact materials and articles in contact with

food or food simulants.

2.11 Residual Quantity

The quantity of a specific kind or type of substance present as residual in Food Contact Materials &

Articles, expressed as milligram of residual substance per kilogram of Food Contact Materials & Articles

(mg/Kg) or milligram of residual substance per sq decimeter of surface area in contact with food or food

simulants (mg/dm2).

2.12 Maximum Residual Quantity (QM)

The total quantity of a specific kind or type of substance allowed to be present as residual in Food

Contact Materials & Articles, expressed as milligram of residual substance per kilogram of Food Contact

Materials & Articles (mg/Kg) or milligram of residual substance per sq decimeter of surface area in contact

with food or food simulants (mg/dm2).

2.13 Non-intentionally added substances

Substances not intentionally added into the Food Contact Materials & Articles, including impurities

brought in from raw-materials, decomposition products, contaminants and residuals from reactive

intermediates produced during manufacturing, marketing and use

2.14 Functional barrier layer

A barrier composed of one or multiple layers of materials in food contact materials and articles, which

is used to prevent the substances behind the barrier from migrating into foods and to ensure the quantity of

unapproved substances migrated into foods doesn’t exceed 0.01 mg/kg and the use of the food contact

materials and articles under the recommended application conditions in compliance with the requirements

of 3.1 and 3.2 of this standard.

3 Basic requirements

3.1. amount of substances migrated from Food Contact Materials & Articles into food should not cause

harm to human health.

3.2. amount of substances migrated from Food Contact Materials & Articles into food should not cause

change to the composition, structure or organoleptic changes, and not give technical function in the

food (unless under special requirement).

3.3. Dosage of substances in Food Contact Materials & Articles should be minimized to get the intended

effects.

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3.4. Substances used in Food Contact Materials & Articles should comply with relevant quality

specification requirement.

3.5. manufacturers of Food Contact Materials & Articles should perform control of NIAS in their product,

so that their migration into food complies with 3.1 and 3.2

3.6. substances not in direct contact with food and have an effective functional barrier, and not listed in

the food safety standards, manufacturers of Food Contact Materials & Articles should perform risk

assessment and control to ensure their migration not exceeding 0.01mg/kg. The above are not

applicable to Carcinogenic, Mutagenic and Reproductive Toxic substances and Nano materials not

acceptable.

3.7. Production of Food Contact Materials & Articles should comply with the requirement of GB31603.

4 Limit requirements

4.1 General requirements

The total migration limit, substance dosage, specific migration limit, total specific migration limit,

maximum residual, etc. of food contact materials and articles shall comply with the provisions of the

relevant national food safety standards for total migration limit, maximum dosage, specific migration

limit, total specific migration limit, maximum residual quantity etc.

4.2 Special requirements

4.2.1 The same (group of) substance(s) listed in both GB9685 and the product standard in food contact

materials and articles shall comply with the provisions on relevant limits, and the limit values shall not be

added up.

4.2.2 Various materials in composite materials and their articles, composite materials and their articles

and coating products shall comply with the provisions of the relevant national food safety standards.

When various materials have the same limit item, food contact materials and articles shall comply with

the weighted average value of the corresponding limit for that item. When the weighted average cannot be

calculated, the minimum limit value of that item should be used.

5 Principle for compliance with standards

5.1 The use of raw materials in food contact materials and products shall comply with the provisions of

the national food safety standards of the corresponding articles and relevant announcements.

5.2 The use of additives in food contact materials and products shall comply with the provisions of GB

9685 and relevant announcements.

5.3 The food contact materials and products shall comply with the provisions of the national food safety

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standards of corresponding product.

6 Test methods

6.1 The migration test of food contact materials and articles shall be in accordance with the provisions

of GB 31604.1 and GB 5009.156. When there are specific provisions for the product in national food safety

standard, the provisions of the product standards shall apply.

6.2 National standard test methods shall be used for related test items for food contact materials and

articles; where no corresponding national standard test methods exist, other test methods with sufficient

technical verification can be used.

7 Traceability

7.1 The manufacturers of food contact materials and articles shall establish product traceability systems

to ensure the traceability in all the stages.

7.2 The traceability system shall be such as to ensure that the information on the source and destination of

food contact materials and articles and the regulatory compliance information on relevant substances

or materials can be obtained.

8 Product information

8.1. Production identification information shall be clear and true and shall not mislead users.

8.2. Product should provide necessary product information, including Product Identification label, technical

information etc., and declaration of compliance, to ensure enough information for safety assessment of

the Food Contact Materials & Articles.

8.3. Product Identification should include product name, material type, declaration of compliance of relevant

standards, name, address and contact details of manufacturer and/or seller, date of manufacture and shelf

life (when relevant) etc. content.

8.4. Declaration of compliance should include the applicable regulations and standards that are in compliance,

name list of substances which contains limitation/restriction, limitation/restrictions, and overall migration

testing results (for final article only) etc.

8.5. Final articles should carry a sign or wording to show that these are “for food contact” applications.

8.6. The above mentioned Product Identification should preferably put on the product or label, the label should

be located in the easily visible area of the smallest selling unit. When it is not possible to put all information

on the product or label due to technical reasons, can show on the product leaflet or accompanying

documents.

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Appendix A

Diagram for logos of spoon and chopsticks

See figure A.1 for Diagram for logos of spoon and chopsticks

Figure A.1 Diagram for logos of spoon and chopsticks

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