China has released a draft revision of its national food safety standard for sterilized milk, titled National Food Safety Standard Sterilized Milk (GB 25190-XXXX), for public consultation. The proposed standard sets updated technical and safety requirements for sterilized milk products, including ultra-high temperature (UHT) processed milk, aligning with evolving quality control and dairy processing practices.
The draft applies specifically to sterilized milk derived from raw cow or goat milk and processed under conditions that ensure commercial sterility, typically involving heat treatment above 132C followed by aseptic packaging.
Scope and Definitions
The standard distinguishes between:
1.Sterilized Milk: Milk subjected to high-temperature sterilization (?132C) to achieve commercial sterility
2.Modified Sterilized Milk: Milk that has undergone compositional adjustments prior to sterilization, such as fat standardization or recombination.
Both categories are covered under the scope of the regulation.
Raw Material and Sensory Requirements
Raw Milk: Must comply with the existing Chinese standard GB 19301 for raw milk quality
Sensory Characteristics: Uniform colour typical of milk, No off-Odors or abnormal Flavors, No visible impurities or foreign matter
Safety and Contaminant Limits
The draft standard establishes specific compositional criteria to ensure the quality and consistency of sterilized milk.
a) For standard sterilized milk, the fat content must be at least 3.2 g/100 g, while protein content must not be lower than 2.9 g/100 g.
b) In the case of modified sterilized milk, fat required at a minimum of 3.1 g/100 g and protein at not less than 2.8 g/100 g.
For both categories, the content of non-fat milk solids must be maintained at or above 8.1 g/100 g. Additionally, acidity levels are regulated, with sterilized milk required to fall within 1018 T, whereas modified sterilized milk may range between 1020 T. These parameters collectively ensure that both product types meet defined nutritional and quality benchmarks.
The draft mandates compliance with existing national standards for contaminants and residues:
1.Contaminants: Must meet limits set under GB 2762
2.Mycotoxins: Must comply with GB 2761
3.Pesticide Residues: Must comply with GB 2763
Additionally, the product must meet commercial sterility requirements, ensuring the absence of viable microorganisms capable of growing under normal storage conditions.
Food Additives and Fortification-The use of food additives must comply with GB 2760, Nutritional fortification, if applied, must follow GB 14880
Labelling Requirements
Products must be clearly labelled as sterilized milk or modified sterilized milk depending on processing and composition. Labelling must also comply with general food labelling standards, ensuring accurate product representation and consumer transparency.
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