Background of the introduction of the new national standard and the situation of the press conference
In China, the cookware industry is closely related to people's lives. In particular, stainless - steel cookware has always been a common item in the kitchen. Now, an important piece of news has come: China is about to introduce a new national safety standard for stainless - steel cookware. This change in the standard indicates that the stainless - steel cookware market is about to embrace new regulations and development.
On November 4th, the China National Hardware Association held a highly - anticipated media briefing in Beijing. Recently, the issues of standard application and product safety of stainless - steel cookware have become the focus of public attention, and the association held this meeting specifically to address these problems. It was revealed at the meeting that the Ministry of Health is actively formulating a new national standard for "Stainless - steel Food Containers", which will be announced in accordance with the established procedures in the near future.
Industry's attention to and response to standard issues
The issue of testing standards for stainless steel cookware products has sparked extensive attention from consumers and the media towards the entire stainless steel cookware industry. This attention has also made the industry highly vigilant and aware of the importance and urgency of the problem. A relevant person in charge of the China National Hardware Association stated that in response to these issues currently concerning society, the association quickly took action and sent a letter to relevant government departments, requesting a detailed explanation of relevant clauses in GB9684 - 1988 "Hygienic Standard for Stainless Steel Food Containers". The association is well aware that only by clarifying the standard clauses can enterprises have rules to follow in production and consumers feel at ease when using the products.
After a period of waiting, the association has recently officially received the "Reply Letter on the Issue of Applicable Standards for Stainless Steel Tableware Containers". This reply letter provides an important reference basis for the subsequent revision and improvement of the standards, and also reflects the government department's attention to and positive response to industry issues.
Reasons and contents for the revision of the new national standard
According to the provisions of the Food Safety Law and its implementation regulations, it is necessary for the Ministry of Health to clean up and improve relevant standards such as the Hygienic Standard for Stainless Steel Tableware and Containers. With the passage of time, the classification method of stainless steel plate models currently used in China for the production of stainless steel tableware and containers has changed. Moreover, the types of stainless steel plate models are increasing day by day and continue to grow. Against this background, considering the actual situation of the contact between stainless steel tableware and containers and food, the revised National Food Safety Standard for Stainless Steel Tableware and Containers has made important adjustments.
The new standard stipulates that austenitic stainless steel, austenitic-ferritic stainless steel, and ferritic stainless steel with good corrosion resistance should be selected for tableware and containers. It is worth noting that the new standard cancels the provisions on specific grades of stainless steel. This change is based on actual production and market conditions, aiming to give enterprises more flexibility in material selection and better adapt to the continuously developing material technology.
Problems and disputes in spot checks of well-known brand products
After the "National Day" Golden Week this year, well - known domestic cookware brands such as Supor and Aishida were involved in a storm. Many products they produced were repeatedly identified as sub - standard stainless - steel cookware products in Harbin. The main problem with these sub - standard products is that the manganese content exceeds the standard, while the contents of two metal elements, chromium and nickel, fail to meet the standard. Excessive manganese content and non - compliance of chromium and nickel elements not only reduce the corrosion resistance of cookware, but may also cause certain health hazards to the human body.
In the face of such spot - check results, Supor made a response. Supor claimed that all of its products were qualified. The reason for the unqualified results in the spot - check was mainly that the two sides referred to different standards regarding stainless - steel materials. The spot - check in Harbin was based on the national standard "Hygiene of Stainless - Steel Tableware and Containers" issued by the Ministry of Health in 1988, while Supor stated that its product production was based on the industry standard "Stainless - Steel Utensils" issued by the former Ministry of Light Industry in 1992. This difference in standards has triggered extensive discussions and also highlighted the necessity of standard unification.
The significance of the new national standard to the industry and the measures of the association
The person in charge of the China National Hardware Association pointed out that in recent years, the Chinese stainless - steel cookware industry has been developing well and showing a rapid development trend. The overall quality of the industry has been greatly improved, and a number of enterprises with good reputations and well - known brands in the market have emerged. The products produced by these enterprises not only meet the ever - changing needs of domestic consumers, but also successfully enter the world market and have won a certain share in the international market.
After the release of the new national standard, it is of great significance. It will provide clearer directions and regulations for the development of the industry, which is conducive to improving the product quality and safety level of the entire industry. The industry association will also play an important role in further guiding enterprises to strictly implement the new national standard and strengthening industry self - discipline. Through the guidance and supervision of the industry association, enterprises will pay more attention to product quality, safeguard the immediate interests of consumers, and promote the stainless - steel cookware industry to develop in a healthier and more orderly direction.