China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine recently issued an announcement prohibiting the production, sale, and use of 33 products, including propylparaben, as food additives, effective immediately.
According to the "Reply from the Ministry of Health of China Regarding Issues Related to the 'Standards for the Use of Food Additives' (GB2760-2011)," the State Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China has decided that, effective immediately, provincial quality and technical supervision bureaus will no longer accept applications for production licenses for 33 types of food additives, including food preservatives such as propylparaben and food disinfectants such as chlorine dioxide. Existing production licenses will be revoked and cancelled by the regulatory authorities, and this process must be completed by December 20th of this year.
It is understood that the 33 products involve propylparaben, sodium propylparaben, thiabendazole, sodium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, trisodium phosphate chloride, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, sodium dodecyl sulfonate, 1-propanol, sodium 4-chlorophenoxyacetate, 6-benzyladenine, monoethanolamine, sodium dichloroisocyanurate, petrolatum, calcium aluminum silicate, succinic anhydride, adipic acid, adipic anhydride, formaldehyde, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, urea, triethanolamine, dodecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (Zephalosporin), iron powder, pentacarbon diacetal, ammonium sulfite, iron oxide, silver, oleic acid, fatty alcohol amide, and sodium fatty ether sulfate.
At the same time, all food additive manufacturers are prohibited from producing the aforementioned 33 products, and those already produced are prohibited from being sold as food additives. Food production enterprises are also strictly prohibited from using them.
Sources: Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China (2011-11-14)