In this round-up of regulatory developments, we focus on China’s expansion of its health food raw material directory, ASEAN’s move to harmonise its supplement rules, and more.
Danone has launched Aptamama – a probiotic product for preventing lactation mastitis in breastfeeding mothers. The product is exclusively sold in China.
A study by Amway China has found that machine learning could be used to provide personalised eye health nutrition by predicting the optimal dosage level for different individuals.
Supplement companies in Australia will soon need to provide more details on proprietary ingredients when listing a new product or making updates to their current listing with the regulator, sparking concerns that this could negatively impact innovative...
See November's 10 most read stories, including the testing of vitamin C levels and supplementation in COVID-19 patients, brands which topped double 11 sales in China and more.
China has officially announced the addition of fish oil and four other raw materials into the Health Food Raw Material Directory, which will come into force from March 1 next year.
This round-up features the latest scientific findings, especially in the area of how nutrition supplementation could contribute to immune, respiratory, and brain health.
A boysenberry and apple formulation created by Anagenix will be tested on healthy subjects with lungs damage induced by air pollution, in a new clinical trial will be conducted by New Zealand Plant & Food Research.
South Korean food and functional health food company Pulmuone has launched a health nutraceutical brand specifically targeted at the online and mass market retail channel – a move away from its traditional door-to-door retail method.
Australian supplement brand Nature’s Way says its toddler nutrition range Kids Smart has smashed new sales records and was the pivotal in the firm’s overall performance in this year’s Double 11 shopping event in China.
Health and beauty retail chain Guardian says it sees potential in expanding its in-house supplement portfolio, with probiotics, joint and heart health cited as key areas for NPD.
Nutraceutical firms have reported a higher uptake of sleep aid and stress relief supplements amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to New Zealand brand GO Healthy and Spanish saffron ingredient supplier Pharmactive.
Atlas Biomed has launched its home-based gut microbiome test in Japan as part of its personalised nutrition service – the first APAC venture for the company.
A randomised-controlled trial that is awaiting peer review suggests that Covid-19 patients who received a combination of honey and Nigella sativa recovered more quickly than those given a placebo.
The combined supplementation of the botanical berberine and probiotics has been found to help reduce blood sugar levels in diabetic patients, more so than taking each product alone, says a 12-week RCT conducted in China.
The ever-changing China health foods industry is seeing new waves of trends, with a sudden interest in nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), the prevalence of livestreaming in product marketing, and the potential for further e-commerce growth.
Australia’s national science agency CSIRO and vegetable producer Fresh Select have jointly established a new food manufacturing company, Nutri V who will upcycle surplus vegetables into powders and snacks.
A dietary supplement made from the microalgae Euglena could improve sleep quality and work efficiency in stressed individuals, a 12-week human clinical study conducted in Japan has shown.
Singapore-based health supplement brand Kinohitmitsu says consumers’ spending on beauty supplement, especially collagen, remained high amid COVID-19 as it saw double digit growth across all catgeories.
Six months supplementation of Biotropics Malaysia’s Biokesum (Persicaria minor extract) was found to improve memory and mood among elderly with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
China’s homegrown nutraceutical brand BY-HEALTH smashed sales records under the health and nutrition category across Alibaba-owned Tmall and JD.com during the double 11 Singles’ Day annual shopping event.
The consumers in APAC are increasingly selecting immune-supporting nutraceuticals and health foods based on the types of ingredients used, with a heightened awareness of lactoferrin.
A series of COVID-19 related lockdowns and travel restrictions has weakened the daigou retail channel for several health and nutrition brands in Australia, with brands such as Swisse, Bubs, and Nuchev, reporting sales slumps from the once lucrative channel.
India’s The Plant Fix has launched its first apple cider vinegar (ACV) supplement and unlike the more commonly seen liquid format, it has launched the product in the form of an effervescent tablet.
In this round-up, we look at new developments in Japan's health foods and nutraceutical market, including the partnership between Nestle and FANCL in launching sachet veggie smoothies and Kirin's relaunch of its iMUSE brand.
There is a burgeoning body of evidence on how New Zealand blackcurrants could improve sports performance, muscle recovery, and even metabolise fat, says CurraNZ, the firm which took home the NutraIngredients-Asia Sports Nutrition Product of the Year award.
See October's 10 most read stories, including Nestle's new bone health product and FSMP launches, the expansion of Swisse's practitioner-only brand, and functional beverages from JuiceInnov8 and TCP.
Australia’s recent bill amendment on the country-of-origin labelling will provide “long-term certainty” for supplements that meet the requirements to make the coveted ‘Made in Australia’ claim, said an industry body.
The New Zealand Hemp Industry Association (NZHIA) believes that the country “will miss the bus” if it does not start to quickly develop its cannabidiol (CBD) sector, after a new report suggesting it could become an NZD2bn industry was quickly followed...
China’s major nutrition brands and suppliers appear to have recovered from the manufacturing and supply chain impact of COVID-19 after reporting better than expected Q3 financials.
In this round-up of industry developments in China, we will look at beauty and nutrition consumption trends, how the country has become Asia’s probiotic powerhouse, and a new scientific research project linked to COVID-19.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will be conducting investigations on 12 artemisia species permitted for use in the country, following scientific reports on how intake of the botanical may lead to miscarriages.
A Singapore fashion and beauty business is venturing into the wellness space with the launch of its first health food, which has already been stocked by pharmacy retailer Watsons.
India’s government and an industry organisation are coming together to help equip nutraceutical start-ups with new, advanced technologies to grow their business both at home and abroad.
Blackmores CEO Alastair Symington has told us the firm decided to sell its traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and oriental botanical supplement arm Global Therapeutics amid a decline in the segments’ main retail channel – health food stores.
Australia’s Arborvitae hopes to deepen its partnership with healthcare practitioners following promising clinical findings of its joint health product.
A randomised controlled trial in China has shown that consuming a low carbohydrate and almond-rich diet could improve depression and sugar metabolism in Type II diabetic patients.
Phynova Group, the winner of the healthy ageing ingredient of the year award in this year’s NutraIngredients-Asia awards, says there are huge opportunities in Asia for glucose controlling products due to heightened consumer awareness.
Amway Philippines has launched the Amway Exclusive Shopper Program on its e-commerce site to allow customers to buy directly from the platform amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interest in plant-based omega-3 supplements is gathering momentum, according to Swisse and Vitality Wellness, as more evidence on how its unique omega-3, 6 ratios could lower cardiovascular disease risks and sustainability concerns arise.
A group of Chinese researchers is screening one million functional foods ligands (or molecules) in their search for the ones that could potentially inhibit the main protease of COVID-19.
A 16-week human clinical trial has shown that lutein supplementation is able to improve the blue-light blocking ability in the eyes by increasing the macular pigment optical density (MPOD).
A specialist doctor should also be an active clinical researcher in order to stay on top of the latest innovations and understanding, says the winner of NutraIngredients-Asia awards’ NutraChampion title.
Australian health and wellness company Eve Investments is launching its honey and tea tree oil sold under the brand Meluka Australia into more parts of APAC amid high growth in China on the back of consumer immunity concerns.