South Korea’s individual health foods sales pilot program faces pushback
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) recently announced that the transaction of health functional foods among private individuals can continue as a pilot program, but the move has faced backlash from the Korean Pharmaceutical Association (KPA).
The KPA claimed on May 8 that MFDS’s decision in extending the pilot programme was made in haste.
Some of the areas that the association believes require urgent attention include sales of unlicensed products and sales of products with opened packaging, which are not permitted under the pilot programme.
Vietnam to tighten food inspection and self-declaration amid fake milk saga
Manufacturers of functional foods in Vietnam can expect more surprise inspections and tighter product registration process from the authorities, as the government seeks to clamp down rising cases of food fraud.
Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen highlighted the above in a national conference held on May 7.
The conference was aimed at discussing methods in strengthening the regulatory compliance of pharmaceuticals and food safety, in response of recent high profile cases of illegal milk production ring and sale of counterfeits nutritional products
Indian authority bans ‘new drugs’, including nutra formulations
India drug control authority has issued a notice recently banning ‘new drugs’ - including nutraceutical formulations - that have not yet received approval but are circulating in the market.
Some examples of these “new drugs” containing nutraceuticals involved the combinations of probiotics and antibiotics, as well as the combination of omega-3, botanicals and minerals.
In India, “new drugs” or “fixed dose combination” drugs contain one or more active ingredients used for a particular indication(s).
China may add joint health support into list of approved claims
China’s State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) is considering the addition of joint health support into its 24 approved health claim functions.
The SAMR has drafted new regulations that would allow health foods sold in China to make joint health support claims.
A public consultation over the draft has been announced on April 24 and will end on June 2.
Taiwan FDA revises bone health functional claims, removes animal testing
Health supplements making bone health claims in Taiwan will need to adhere to a new set of functional claims and will no longer have to undergo animal testing, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration announced.
New requirements are also put in place for human clinical trials, including a minimum intervention trial size of 30 people for trials on bone quality.
These changes, which are now effective, were made to methods for evaluating the functionality of health foods making bone health claims.