| Category: | Winemaking Practices |
| Notification Date: | 04/17/2013 |
| Final Comment Date: | 06/16/2013 |
| Documents Link: |
Description of content: The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has completed a review of the Food Regulations and proposes the following amendments:
a. To allow the use of the following new food additives:
i. Arabinogalactan (larch gum) as an emulsifier and stabiliser (under the Sixth Schedule).
ii. Alpha-amylase (from Bacillus subtilis) as a processing aid (under the Eighth Schedule).
iii. Aminopeptidase (from Aspergillus oryzae) as a processing aid (under the Eighth Schedule).
iv. Cellulase (from Trichoderma longibrachiatum) as a processing aid (under the Eighth Schedule).
v. Glucoamylase (or amyloglucosidase from Aspergillus niger) as a processing aid (under the Eighth Schedule).
vi. Glycerophospholipid cholesterol acyltransferase (from a genetically modified strain of Bacillus licheniformis, as a processing aid (under the Eighth Schedule).
vii. Hemicellulase (endo-1,4-â-xylanase from a genetically modified strain of Bacillus subtilis) as a processing aid (under the Eighth Schedule).
viii. Hemicellulase (endo-1,4-â-xylanase from a genetically modified strain of Aspergillus niger) as a processing aid (under the Eighth Schedule).
ix. Hexose oxidase (from a genetically modified strain of Hansenula polymorpha) as a processing aid (under the Eighth Schedule).
b. Clarification of use categories for the chemical preservative dimethyl dicarbonate: Dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC) is currently permitted to be added to "non-alcoholic drinks" up to the maximum level of 250ppm (under the Fourth Schedule of the Food Regulations). However, the food category "non-alcoholic drinks" is not well defined, and may overlap with various food categories in the Fourth Schedule such as "soft drinks for consumption without dilution (other than fruit drink or fruit crush)", and "fruit drink and fruit crush". AVA proposes to amend the Regulations to clearly define the food categories which may be added with DMDC and the maximum permitted use levels, as follows: Selected Foods Maximum amount of dimethyl dicarbonate in parts per million (ppm)*
Water-based flavoured drinks, including "sport", "energy", or "electrolyte" drinks and particulated drinks 250
Ready-to-drink coffee, coffee substitutes, tea, herbal infusions, and other hot cereal and grain beverages (excluding cocoa) 250
Cider and perry 250
Grape wines 200
Wines (other than grape) 250
Mead 200 *
Added level; residue of dimethyl dicarbonate not detected in the ready-to-eat food.
c. To specify maximum limits for the following incidental constituents:
i. Aflatoxin B1, up to 0.1 ppb in food for infants and young children.
ii. Aflatoxin M1, up to 0.025 ppb in infant formula (calculated on the reconstituted ready-to-consume product).
iii. Patulin, up to 10 ppb in food (other than processed cereal-based food) for infants and young children.
iv. Melamine, up to 1 ppm in powdered infant formula; up to 0.15 ppm in liquid infant formula (as consumed), up to 2.5 ppm in any other foods.
d. To allow the use of polydextrose in infant formula, up to a maximum permitted level of 0.2 g per 100 ml.
e. To make editorial amendments to the format for the nutrition information panel (NIP) (under the Twelfth Schedule) Presently, the NIP format under the Twelfth Schedule requires that the units for nutrients (other than energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate) are to be declared in "g", and further specifies that sodium, potassium and cholesterol are to be declared in "mg". This may give the erroneous impression that the units for vitamins and minerals (as well as any other nutrient) are to be declared in "g". Some vitamins and minerals are added in microgram (mcg) quantities, while other vitamins and minerals are added in milligram (mg) quantities. In addition, there are other forms of measurements which are commonly used for certain vitamins, such as "I.U" (International Units), and the present NIP format does not reflect such forms of declaration. It is proposed to amend the Twelfth Schedule to specify that the nutrients are to be declared either in mcg, mg, g or other units of measurement, as appropriate. This will better address the forms of measurement currently employed by the industry.
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