Vietnam’s fake milk scandal: PM orders review of food safety rules
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered a review of food safety regulations following the discovery of an illegal milk powder production ring.
Over 500 different brands of counterfeits targeting vulnerable groups, such as premature infants, pregnant women, diabetic and kidney diseases patients were discovered.
Amendments to food safety regulations involving dairy products could be expected, as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and relevant agencies have been tasked to review existing food safety rules.
Academics play crucial role in ‘upgrading’ China’s functional food sector, say experts
Food industry academics in China have a major role to play in ‘upgrading’ the local functional foods sector, especially when it comes to discerning TCM herbs for food usage and novel foods development.
China National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment Chief Advisor Chen Junshi pointed out that the hope for advancement in this area likely lies with academicians and not industry, because investment from the latter tends to come with conflicts of interest.
Chen told the floor when presenting at the Food Ingredients China (FIC) 2025 show in Shanghai in March.
Japan tightens dairy rules to improve standardisation, probiotic fortification safety
Japan is introducing new food safety documentation rules for milk product manufacturers, as well as functional foods, drinks and infant formula containing probiotics.
For instance, it will be mandatory for companies to submit documents on name and address of the manufacturing facility, product name, ingredients used and the mixing ratios.
This is according to an announcement by the Consumer Affairs Agency.
Aussie health supplement industry applauds return of insurance rebates
Australia’s complementary medicine industry association, as well as veteran Marcus Blackmore, has commended the health minister’s move in reinstating insurance rebates for natural therapies.
On April 15, Australia’s Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler announced his decision to reinstate health insurance rebates for seven natural therapies, including naturopathy and western herbal medicine.
Industry veteran Marcus Blackmore, owner of leading dietary supplement firm Blackmores which was later sold to Kirin, described the development as a “massive turnaround”.
Tariffs: White House exempts key dietary ingredients like vitamins, amino acids
The White House has published a list of products exempt from both the Global Tariff and Reciprocal Tariffs, with the list including vitamins, amino acids, CoQ10, minerals and some other supplement ingredients.
The exclusions were described as “very reassuring for some of our industry’s concerns” by Daniel Fabricant, PhD, president and CEO of the Natural Products Association (NPA), which has had several meetings with senior members of the Trump Administration.
The full Annex II can be found HERE.
