Source：National Health and Family Planning Commission of the P.R.C

To Health and family planning commission of provinces, automatic regions and municipalities (health bureau), Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Health Bureau, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Inspection and Supervision, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment and other related units:

In accordance with Food Safety Law and its enforcement regulations and work plan of State Council of the PRC, in order to finish the integrated work of national standard food safety, we work out <National Standard Integrated Work Plan for Food Safety 2014-2015> available for you to follow it.

　National Health and Family Planning Commission of the P.R.C

　　May 7, 2014

 National Standard Integrated Work Plan for Food Safety 2014-2015

In accordance with Food Safety Law and its enforcement regulations and <The Decision on Strengthening Food Safety Work of the State Council of PRC>, in order to implement food cleanup integration work plan for < National food safety regulatory system  “Twelfth Five Year Plan”> and < National food safety regulatory system “Twelfth Five Year Plan”> we formulate the plan.

1. Work targets

By the end of 2015, we should finish the integrated work of quality safety standard, food sanitation standard, food quality standard and enforcement in industry standard for edible agricultural products, and solve the problems of overlapping, repeated and contradictory standards, achieving the conformity of standard framework, discipline and international food code standard. The main food safety index and control demand should be in conformity with international practice and China’s national standard for food safety system.

2. Work principles

 (1) Ensuring safety and aiming at guaranteeing the health of general public: We shall guarantee standard contents include food safety requirements related to human health and aim at ensuring food security and public health in accordance with food safety standard and the standard integration in Food Safety Law

 (2) Scientific rationality, based on risk assessment: We shall stick to scientific principles, optimize food safety standard system, refine standards for integration and operation program, and ensure scientific and rational contents for food safety standards based on risk monitoring data and risk assessment results.

 (3) Focusing on pragmatism and learning international management experience: We shall focus on pragmatism and meet people’s increasing requirements for food safety as well as needs of industrial development and supervision, draw on international standards and managerial experience to increase the operation standard.

 (4)  Being open and transparent and encouraging parties to participate in activities. We shall pay attention to carrying out functions of existing management institutes, industrial organizations and scientific research institutions, expand participating channels and scopes, present work information, encourage parties to participate in and take advice, so as to better ensure the public's right to know and supervise.

 　3. Work tasks

According to result of food cleanup work, in principles of advancing on the whole, taking easiest the first and focusing on priority, based on national standards for food safety like < Allowable amount of contaminants in food>, <Pathogenic bacteria in food>, <Standards for uses of food additives>, <Standards for using nutritional fortified food>, < Maximum allowable amount of contaminants in food>, < Maximum allowable amount of pesticide residue in food>, <Pre-packaged food label generals>, we shall develop national standard integration work for food safety pursuant to standard framework for food safety and national standard contents.

 (1) Food material and product safety standard: We shall integrate existing food materials and product standards according to food categories and classifications on the basis of food safety as well as food safety standard contents. Firstly, we will set up food product safety standard index by prioritizing food safety indicators which have not been covered and quality indicators related to food safety. Secondly, we will cancel indicators which have a lack of scientific basis. Thirdly, we will improve standards of food classification terminology and features to make them suitable to food safety standard.

 (2) Standards for uses of food additives and nutritional fortified food:

According to stipulated types of food additives and nutritional fortified food in

<Standards for uses of food additives> and <Standards for using nutritional fortified food>, we will integrate quality standards for existing food additives, food nutritional supplements, food flavorings and food processing aids.

(3) Food standards for nutrition and special diets: According to standard food contents of nutrition and special diets, we will integrate food standards for existing nutrition and special diets which involve infant formula foods, dietary foods for special medical purpose and for nutrient requirements of other special groups.

(4) Relevant food product standards: According to standard food contents of nutrition and special diets, we will integrate food standards for existing food containers, packing materials and other relevant food standards, formulating basic standards for relevant food products and product standards.

(5) Hygiene requirements in process of food production and trading: According to standard contents of hygiene requirements, we will integrate existing standard for food production and business. Firstly, we will set safety requirements for food production on the basis of < food production hygiene regulations> and general regulations for food circulation and catering. Secondly, we will formulate hygiene standards for food production corresponding to food product safety standard and general safety standard   in consideration of actual demand for food safety supervision. Thirdly, we will focus on the guidance for key hazard control and give practical technical guidance to enterprises

(6) Test method and procedure standard: According to various test methods and contents of procedure standard, we will work out test methods and procedure standard systems corresponding to limit index of food safety standard. 

1) Physical and chemical test method: According to food safety index, we need to be concerned about usage and popularity of different test methods, and integrate physical and chemical test method standards of existing national standard and industry standard with limit requirements of food safety standard, the detailed test methods concerning general ingredients, elements, pollutants, toxin, radioactive substance, addictives, nutritional supplement etc.

2) Microorganism test method: Based on the types of microorganism, we will integrate microorganism test methods of existing national standard and industry standard with limit requirements of microorganism in food safety standard, the detailed test methods concerning germ, indicator bacteria medium and reagent requirement and sample treatment etc.

3) Toxicology test method and assessment procedure:

  We will make improvement and supplement for experiment requirement and meet the need of toxicology assessment procedure for food safety, the detailed test standards concerning general requirements, acute toxicity, chronic toxicity, carcinogens, abnormality, mutagenesis and reproductive and developmental toxicity.

4) Parasite test method

  According to types of parasite, we will integrate parasite test methods of national standard and industrial standard, concerning types of pathogenic parasites, test method and sample treatment etc.

(7) Integrated program for residues of pesticides, veterinary drugs and test methods standard shall be separately formulated.

4. Work progress

(1) We will set up implementation plan for national food safety standard and refine standard work plans, defining standard integration tasks and work process requirement. (Jan.2014 to Apr. 2014)

(2) We will implement national standard integrated work of food safety according to emphasis of national standard integrated work of food safety, and carry out standard integrated work including finishing more than 50% work by the end of 2014 and finishing standard integrated work by 2015. (May 2014 to Oct.2015)

(3) We will release new national standard system contents and texts of food safety according to stipulated procedures after implementing national standard integrated work of food safety. (Nov. 2014 to Dec. 2015)

5. Organization Management and Safeguard Measures

(1) Strengthening Organizational Leadership

   In accordance with stipulations of <National food safety regulatory system “Twelfth Five Year Plan”> of the former Ministry of Health of P.RC and other seven departments, we will implement work mechanism of food safety standard coordination of different departments, consult major problems in national standard integrated work of food safety, carry out food standard cleanup integrated suggestion, set up leader team for national standard integrated work of food safety, study and plan the integrated work and coordinate to solve major problems and strengthen coordination with other departments. All administrative departments of health and family planning at provincial levels should support and coordinate the local food safety technology institutions to undertake integrated work of food safety, speed up progress and fulfill the work on schedule.

（2）Strengthening organization security: We will set up expert team consisted of 3 to 5 experts from national standard assessment committee for discussing integrated work contents of national standard food safety, standard integrated principles and work requirements, so as to give guidance for related units to finish the integrated work. China National Center For Food Safety Risk Assessment (National Standard Food Safety Review Committee Secretariat) will undertake standard integrated technical work and expert team work, organize expert team to discuss major technique problems in integrated work. Units undertaking standard integrated work need to strengthen its organization leadership and implement the work task so as to ensure work quality and process.

 (3) Strengthening fund security: We will strengthen the fund security of integrated work, make efforts for relevant financial fees input. Units undertaking standard integrated work need to obey the fund rule and ensure the fair use of funds.

 (4) Building qualified personnel team: China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment should build qualified personnel team to be responsible for standard integrated work. Units undertaking standard integrated work need enough personnel team to do standard integrated work of food safety. And we will give commendation to units and individuals having remarkable achievements in integrated work.

(5) Ensuring work quality and progress: We will speed up work process of review and approval for texts needed to be transformed into national standards of food safety. We will fully study and learn experience from national organizations and food safety standards of developed countries, take advices widely and make a timely research and disposal. For items with a great difficulty in integrating, we need to make a study and scientific assessment for them; For items needing to be used as new food safety standards, we need to make suggestions for them in a timely manner. China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment and expert team of integrated work should strengthen technical guidance and effect assessment, urge the units concerned to finish integrated work as schedule, enhance work efficiency and quality.

(6) Increasing the work of information disclosure: We will disclose the work progress for national standard food safety according to the open and transparent requirements for food safety standards, take advices and suggestions from various parties, encourage all the parties to participate in the work. China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment and expert team for integrated work should take their professional advantages in resolving doubts for public concerns, popularize food safety knowledge, intensify popularization for healthy diet and respond to hot issues so as to create a healthy social environment.

Appendix 1 National Food Safety Standard Integration leading group list

Appendix 2 National Food Safety Standard Integration Experts list

Appendix 3 National Standard Framework for Food Safety

Appendix 4 National Standard Integrated Project Plan for Food Safety

Appendix 1 National Food Safety Standard Integration leading group list

Appendix 2 National Food Safety Standard Integration Experts list