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　　With continuous innovation in production and processing technologies, dried fruit and vegetable products are no longer limited to traditional methods such as natural air-drying and hot-air drying. Low-temperature freeze-drying and microwave drying have also become popular choices among manufacturers. Under different processing techniques, the quality specifications for dried fruit and vegetable products vary accordingly. On January 29, the Shanghai Institute of Quality Supervision and Inspection Technology issued a notice soliciting industry feedback on the draft “National Food Safety Standard for Dried Fruit and Vegetable Products.” As a result, dried fruit and vegetable products will soon be governed by a national standard, thereby standardizing and regulating industry production.

　　The reporter learned that the aforementioned standard was included in the “Notice from the General Office of the National Health Commission on Issuing the 2020 Annual Plan for the Formulation of National Standards for Food Safety.” In other words, prior to this, there had been no national standards for dried fruits and vegetables. On February 7, when the reporter searched for “dried fruits and vegetables” on the National Standards Information Public Service Platform, only one local standard—“Technical Specification for Irradiation Sterilization of Dried Fruits and Vegetables”—was found to be relevant. No relevant standards were found on the National Group Standards Information Platform. According to the search results on the Enterprise Standards Information Public Service Platform, there are currently 13 valid standards whose names include “dried fruits and vegetables.” Furthermore, when the reporter queried the relevant standards on the FoodPartner Network’s standard search interface, in addition to the aforementioned local standard, six enterprise standards were also identified.

　　It seems that in the dried fruits and vegetables industry, more manufacturers are adopting their own enterprise standards, and the standardization of various indicators for dried fruits and vegetables is driving the industry’s development. What are the key points of the draft discussion document on dried fruits and vegetables recently released? And how does it differ from the existing enterprise standards?

　　The draft discussion proposes that this standard replaces GB 16325-2005, "Hygienic Standard for Dried Fruit Foods." Compared with GB 16325-2005, this standard revises the terms and definitions, modifies the moisture limits, introduces new indicators for peroxide value and acid value, and adjusts the microbial parameters and their corresponding limits.

　　After comparing the draft with the “Hygiene Standards for Dried Fruit Products,” the reporter noted that the draft provides detailed definitions for dried fruit and vegetable products, dried fruits and vegetables, fruit and vegetable powders, and fruit and vegetable crisps, no longer limiting them solely to “dried fruit foods made from fresh fruits (such as longan, lychee, grapes, persimmons, etc.) processed through dehydration techniques like sun-drying and drying.” According to the draft, dried fruit and vegetable products are foods produced by processing primarily fruits and vegetables—either with or without added auxiliary ingredients—through preliminary treatments such as cutting (or not cutting), pulping (or not pulping), blanching (or not blanching), followed by a drying process and optionally seasoned (or not seasoned).

　　Regarding moisture limits, the "Hygiene Standards for Dried Fruit Foods" sets specific criteria for longan, lychee, raisins, and persimmon cakes. In the draft discussion document, the moisture-related items have been made even more detailed, covering dried fruits, dried vegetables, fruit and vegetable crisps, and fruit and vegetable powders. Among these, dried fruits are categorized according to their processing methods into freeze-dried dried fruits and other processed dried fruits (including persimmon cakes, dried peaches, dried apricots, dried dates, dried longan, dried lychees, dried papaya, dried strawberries, dried plums, dried apples, raisins, dried pineapples, dried tamarind, dried mulberries, dried guava, and dried coconut for consumption). The draft discussion document has revised the moisture limit for raisins: the moisture content per 100 grams has been lowered from no more than 20 grams to no more than 18 grams. Each of the aforementioned categories of dried fruits has its own specific limit requirements; in particular, freeze-dried dried fruits must have a moisture content of no more than 6 grams per 100 grams. It is important to note that these moisture limit specifications do not apply to products that have undergone sterilization treatment.

　　In addition, the reporter noted that different companies have varying requirements for the maximum moisture content in dried fruits and vegetables. According to the company standard “Dried Fruits and Vegetables” issued by Zhangzhou Shangnong Food Co., Ltd., the moisture content of freeze-dried and dehydrated fruit and vegetable products must be no more than 5 grams per 100 grams; for all other products except freeze-dried and dehydrated fruit and vegetable products, the moisture content must be no more than 30 grams per 100 grams. In contrast, according to the company standard “Dried Fruits and Vegetables” issued by Zhangzhou Yangguoguo Food Co., Ltd., the moisture content per 100 grams is limited to no more than 20 grams. Among the company standards reviewed by the reporter, besides those that do not specify separate limits for different categories of dried fruits and vegetables, some food companies have also set specific limits for individual products within the category of dried fruits and vegetables. For instance, the food safety company standard “Dried Fruits and Vegetables” issued by Qiaoke Food Co., Ltd. references GB 16325—the Hygienic Standard for Dried Fruit Products—and divides the moisture content criteria into two categories: non-fried and fried. For the non-fried category, dried red dates and raisins are singled out separately, with moisture content limits of no more than 25 grams and 20 grams per 100 grams, respectively; for all other products in this category, the moisture content limit is no more than 5 grams per 100 grams. The moisture content limits for the fried category are the same as those for other products.

　　As dried fruits and vegetables, moisture content undoubtedly plays a central role. By examining the "Hygiene Standards for Dried Fruit Products," the "National Food Safety Standard for Dried Fruits and Vegetables" (draft for discussion), and selected enterprise standards for "Dried Fruits and Vegetables," it is readily apparent that although the "Hygiene Standards for Dried Fruit Products" sets specific requirements for certain types of dried fruits, many enterprise standards do not cite these requirements. Most enterprise standards have been revised or newly formulated within the past two years, and the majority of these standards specify separate moisture limits tailored to different production processes. The draft for discussion provides even more detailed categorization. The development of the new standard has just begun; the current draft for discussion will close for public comments by February 28. It remains uncertain whether further revisions will be made to the standard in other areas. However, it is an undeniable fact that unifying the limit values for various indicators and standardizing production practices across enterprises in the dried fruits and vegetables industry are essential steps forward.