food safety
China lists illegal additives

China has come out with its first official compilation of 17 illegal food additives used in the country.
The banned substances include boric acid, commonly used as an insecticide but also mixed with noodles and meatballs to increase elasticity, and industrial formaldehyde, used in making soap and drains cleaner but also used as a common disinfectant added to dried seafood to make the products appear fresher and bigger. Also forbidden are leavening agents used to make cakes and dough sticks, which could leave behind aluminium residues if added in excessive quantities.

The compilation is part of a four-month long government crackdown aimed at improving the country