The MFDS is gathering public feedback on the above until September 22.
Currently, hydrolyzed milk protein can only be used in health functional foods on an individual approval basis in South Korea.
As such, only businesses that have submitted safety and functionality data are subsequently recognized by the regulator can manufacture health functional foods containing hydrolyzed milk protein.
The products approved so far are allowed to make the claim “may help relieve stress-related tension.”
The MFDS announced that it planned to add hydrolyzed milk protein into the list of raw materials that can be used to manufacture health functional foods.
Products containing the ingredient can also make the claim “may help relieve stress-related tension and improve sleep quality.”
This allows manufacturers to use the ingredient at a specified amount to be determined later and make the above claim without having to go through the approval process.
The MFDS said that the move could help revitalize and promote related industries.
In addition, it is also considering the addition of zinc citrate and ferric saccharate into the list of raw materials that can be used to manufacture health functional foods.
“Zinc citrate and ferric saccharate, which are already used as nutritional raw materials in international organizations such as CODEX and other foreign countries, are being revised to allow their use in South Korea as well, thereby enhancing convenience for business operators,” said the MFDS.
Zinc citrate is an alternative zinc compound with high zinc content. It is said to be slightly soluble in water, which gives it a better sensory property in syrups.
In some supplements such as Singapore brand Holistic Way, zinc citrate is marketed as supporting healthy skin and immune function.
Ferric saccharate, on the other hand, when microencapsulated, has showed better tolerability than conventional ferrous sulphate in a 14-day study involving healthy premenopausal women.
An example of a microencapsulated ferric saccharate is AB-Fortis, which has been used in an iron supplement by OLLY for supporting red blood cell production.
Aloe gel to meet new standards
The regulator is also collecting public feedback on a new requirement that it is planning to introduce for aloe gel raw materials.
The new requirement states that aloe gel should contain 30mg/g or more total polysaccharides.
The goal is to detect aloe gel raw materials that are thickened with inexpensive raw materials such as starches.
A new iodine starch reaction test will also be established to assess the amount of starch used in aloe gel raw materials.
Currently, the MFDS allows aloe gel to be made into health functional foods via various methods, including drying, pulverizing, grinding, filtering, pressing, and concentrating.
