First national standard for chili sauce finalized

China's first national standard for chili sauce has recently been finalized and is expected to be officially issued in half a year. Industry insiders point out that about 20% of workshop-style enterprises on the market will face elimination.

It is understood that this national standard for chili sauce began preparation in 2006 and underwent several revisions. In October last year, the China Condiment Industry Association designated Lee Kum Kee Health Products Group of Hong Kong, China, Tianjin Limin Condiment Brewing Group and Sichuan Tianwei Industrial Co., Ltd. as the units to draft the chili sauce standard.

Yesterday, the person in charge of the China Condiment Industry Association stated that after receiving the chili sauce standard researched and drafted by the relevant enterprises, it will still undergo expert review and be sent to the Standardization Administration of China for public announcement before the end of the year.

According to relevant sources, this national standard, in addition to listing pesticide residues related to chili sauce raw materials as key restricted items, also introduces the internationally common “water activity index” to measure the degree to which chili sauce is prone to spoilage, and uniformly grades chili sauce into four levels according to spiciness in line with international practice, so that consumers can choose products suitable for themselves according to personal preference when purchasing.