China blacklists 17 illegal food additives

New Delhi, Dec 16 (ANI): In a bid to restore the trust hurt by tainted milk scandal, China has asked its food producers to rid their products of illegal additives.

The investigating team led by Health Ministry, the State Food and Drug Administration, and seven government departments have blacklisted 17 non-food substances that could be added to food production.

The list includes illegal chemicals including cancer-causing industrial dye sudan red used to colour egg yolks, and melamine found in baby formula that was originally intended for use in the production of plastics, reports China Daily.

The substances also included carbon monoxide, industrial methanol, and opium poppy capsules, a plant from which opium can be extracted.

The notice also warned food producers against the overuse of ten additives including sodium cyclamate, an artificial sweetener used in baking and pickling that have been linked to cancer, and nitrite used as a colour additive in meat products.

According to earlier reports, the investigation will target protein-rich foods, such as processed meat, dairy products and sauces.

Products would be taken from supermarket shelves and tested for illegal or overused additives.

They will also focus on products made by small food factories as they are often under-supervised and do not have a self-discipline system. (ANI)