December 4, 2006

China releases first draft on egg standards

China's first draft on egg standards, released by China's Meat Association, has been completed and submitted to the Standardisation Administration of China, on Nov 30.

Once the standards are finalized, eggs to be marketed would have to abide by these standards.

The chief factors affecting egg content are its bacteria content, heavy metal index, and antibiotic residue, all of which could only be detected by specialised machines. As the enforcement of these standards were not compulsory previously, there was no clear way of knowing whether an egg reaches the country's national standards.

The new standards, according to China Meat Association's Deng Fujiang, would roll out a series of testing measures that would set limits for antibiotics, heavy metals and other chemicals. The standards would also specifically prohibit salmonella and chloromycetin bacteria.

When the standards are implemented, international labeling rules would apply such that the farm, production date and other information would be available at a glance. Once eggs are washed, dried and imprinted, a protective coating as part of the process would also be used to keep the egg fresh.