APAC’s fragmented, and at times volatile, regulatory landscape can be a major headache for supplements and functional foods firms. As we enter 2020, we look at some of the new rules that will commence from January and the developments that are likely...
See the regulatory developments happening in APAC in the past one month, including Taiwan FDA's new rules for vitamins labelling, Australia drafting regulations to govern the manufacturing process and uses of faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) products....
More than 40% of dietary supplements may not be as effective as touted to be, after 100 products tested by Japan’s National Consumer Affairs Center (NCAC) were unable to dissolve in water within the specified time limits.
Our 10 most read regulatory stories concerning APAC's health foods and supplement industry include India permits marijuana cultivation for research and medicine, China’s proposal for stricter infant-formula manufacturing processes and more.
ChromaDex has received approval from the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for use of its patented nicotinamide ribosome chloride (NR) in listed complementary medicines in the country.
Taiwan FDA has announced amendments to the way vitamins and minerals are labelled in the country, where the main revisions are the vertical format of nutrition labels, and units for nutrient values.
The International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) has released new guidelines to encourage best practice in clinical trial design and study interpretation.
The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has announced tightened food labelling and advertisement standards in a move to strengthen the country’s Food Labelling and Advertising Act, with sugar and other ‘negative content’ claims receiving...
Food products produced using genome editing technology could go on sale in Japan by the end of the year despite no specific labelling rules being in place.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has just released its new Action Plan for Safe and Quality Milk and Milk Products, with the majority of actions targeted at self-testing or self-monitoring by dairy companies, farmers and consumers.
A Philippines Department of Health (DOH) proposal to impose taxes on high-salt products has been met with vehement opposition with critics claiming it will penalise the poorest in society.
The New Zealand government has finally responded to the country’s Food and Beverage Industry Taskforce on Addressing Factors Contributing to Obesity’s report and its list of 51 recommendations.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is drafting a new regulation which will govern the manufacturing process and uses of faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) products.
China’s revised regulations of the Food Safety Law regulation has been enforced as of December 1, 2019, with a focus on priorities such as enhancing its law enforcement and emphasising the protection of consumers.
A new study from Dr Pieter Cohen has revealed the presence of piracetam, a drug that is not approved for use by the FDA, in cognitive enhancement products labeled as dietary supplements, strengthening calls by stakeholders for a mandatory product registry...
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has introduced the 2019 version of its ‘Health Foods Naming Directory’ to standardise the naming of products.
Products with Food for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU or TOKUHO) claims still represent the largest share in the health foods and supplements market, although products with Food with Function Claims (FFC) have been growing steadily since 2015.
Australia’s trade body Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) has urged national regulator Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to conduct a proper impact assessment amid the latter’s proposal to classify certain sports nutrition as therapeutic goods.
In this regulatory review, we shine the spotlight on the Oceania, China, and Japan. One of the latest developments featured is Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA) proposal to change the regulatory framework for sports supplements....
Australia’s national regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), is proposing to classify non-food appropriate sports supplements as therapeutic goods.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved an application by Nestle Australia and Nestle New Zealand to reduce the minimum protein requirement for milk-based follow-on formula.
The Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) of Japan has included almonds to its current list of food ingredients that are recommended for clear display on processed and other food labels after a survey revealed it as the third-highest cause of nut-related allergies...
Firms which are planning to enter China’s probiotic market should take note of six key challenges surrounding the types of ingredients available for use, consumers’ understanding, and approved health claims.
Australia’s supplements sector has more than doubled its exports sales to $900m over the past two years, and now it is on a mission to achieve that feat again by 2021.
The Australian supplements industry may have a much lauded regulatory regime on the global stage, but a leading figure at regulator the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has argued it is “not yet world class”.
In this round-up, we bring you some of the latest regulatory developments taking place in the health foods industry, with topics spanning from Foods for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs), food fortification in India, and the sales of energy drink in New...
Singapore is set to introduce mandatory colour-coded front-of-pack nutrition label and ban advertising for pre-packaged sugar sweetened beverages (SSB), a move that has caused the industry to voice doubts, while health policy experts have welcomed the...
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has pointed out supply and demand alignment as one of the key challenges in scaling up food fortification rates in the country.
Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) has for the first time issued a direct warning to a named company under the consumer safety law regarding health foods.
Half of Asia’s paediatric associations had received commercial funding from breast-milk substitutes (BMS) infant formula manufacturers, against recommendation from the World Health Assembly, new research claims.
China’s addition of six new Free Trade Zone (FTZ) will strengthen regional trade for supplements and functional foods, but a lack of harmonised regulations means it would not fulfil its potential, according to industry players.
The New Zealand food and beverage industry has responded with doubt over the efficacy and benefits of supermarket Countdown’s decision to ban the sales of energy drinks to all consumers under the age of 16.
Taiwan FDA has drafted guidelines on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for health supplements, which is expected to help smoothen export procedures for locally-made health supplements.
Top tips, and the major pitfalls to avoid, when trying to crack China’s fast-growing probiotics market will be the topic of a keynote presentation at our forthcoming Probiota Asia Summit in Singapore.
New Zealand supermarket chain Countdown has banned the sale of energy drinks to under 16s, with its 180 outlets requiring young customers to present their ID when seeking to make purchases.
Read the latest regulatory developments in the health supplement scene, including the Thai authorities’ recent approval of hemp and CBD use in herbal products, Chinese authorities adding new requirements to health supplements product labelling and more....
A new New Zealand report has revived calls for the government to make the Health Star Rating (HSR) system mandatory in the country after highlighting that almost all leading food brands carried high numbers of ultra-processed foods.
Health foods firms selling to China will need to adhere to more product labelling requirements in January next year and new guidelines for raw material filling process will kick in from next month.
An industry expert has voiced criticism over the newly-established Vietnam-Malaysia halal certification centre, saying that this could potentially open up the local food industry to more food safety and food fraud issues.
Despite the ongoing tensions between the United States and China, there are still multiple opportunities for Chinese food and beverage and nutrition firms, particularly those in the health sector, to secure business success, according to an industry expert.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a formal order mandating compulsory third party food safety auditing for all food companies that deal in ‘high-risk’ product categories in hopes of reducing the need for frequent government...
While Singapore public health officials are taking strides to persuade adults and school-age children to steer away from sugar, their awareness campaigns appear to be missing a crucial segment of society—babies and infants.
Read about China’s proposal to tighten its infant formula registration process, how sports supplements sold in India are to adhere to the country’s Food, Safety, and Standards Regulations, and the debate surrounding sugar taxes.
Trade body Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) has reassured the safety of Australian made supplements but cautioned against the online purchase of overseas products, amid ongoing doping saga involving national swimmer Shayna Jack.
The Chinese authorities have proposed five changes to the country’s infant formula milk powder registration process, in a bid to boost the level of quality, scientific evidence, and safe consumption of the products.