Food Safety

Quality standards for food ingredients published

The latest Food Chemicals Codex was published by the US Pharmacopeial Convention.

The latest

New and updated quality standards for ingredients used in functional foods and a host of other food products manufactured, sold and consumed every day are included in the seventh edition of the (FCC). Published by the US Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), the FCC is an internationally recognized compendium of standards that helps ensure the identity, quality, purity and consistency of food ingredients.

The latest FCC edition includes standards covering quality and purity for 1,100 food ingredients. These standards include the ingredient’s chemical formula, structure and weight; function and definition; impurity limits; and packaging, storage and labeling information. In addition, FCC Seventh Edition includes validated methods in 11 appendices, with step-by-step guidance to analyze food ingredients and demonstrate their authenticity, quality and purity. The appendices cover enzyme assays, essential oils and flavors, fats and related substances, carbohydrates and flavor chemicals, among others.

New to the seventh edition is a comprehensive section featuring additional information and industry guidances such as general current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) guidelines for food chemicals; a comparison of cGMP elements for foods and drugs; and AOAC International/International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) guidelines on method validation.

For more information, visit www.usp.org/fcc/.

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