BEIJING - The Ministry of Health has issued a national standard on compound food additives to better regulate the production and use of such additives and ensure food safety.

Compound food additives, which are designed to improve food quality or assist in food processing, should be used sparingly in food products, according to the standard the ministry issued Tuesday.

Titled the General Rule on Compound Food Additives, the standard stipulates that each of the ingredients used for making compound food additives, which are a mix of two or more single food additives, should meet national standards concerning food safety.

No chemical reaction should occur and no new compounds should be generated during the production process of compound food additives, according to the standard.

Compound food additives producers should clarify limits of the amounts of harmful substances, such as lead and arsenic, in their products and take measures to control the levels of harmful substances, according to the standard, which will come into effect on Sept 5 this year.