South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has developed a set of nutritional standards for specialised foods catered to the elderly and cancer patients.
See our 10 most-read regulatory stories of 2021, including Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) policies in India, South Korea’s monitoring of krill oil and probiotics, and new standards for fish oil in Thailand.
In this round-up, we will look at the regulatory updates across APAC, from new formats allowed for OTC vitamin and minerals in South Korea to probiotic regulations in different parts of this region.
The 10 most-read COVID-19 related stories for this year include a RCT finding on the use of TCM Lianhua Qingwen and research on various COVID-19 adjuvant therapies across the region, such as the use of honey and black cumin, and virgin coconut oil.
Yiling Pharmaceutical’s Lianhua Qingwen, NMN market boom, Nestle China’s ‘blue-hat’ certified health foods for seniors, and a2 milk market potential are some of the most popular China-related stories this year.
Supplementation with vitamins A, B, C, D, and E could improve the inflammatory response and decrease the severity of disease among intensive care patients with COVID-19, according to a new trial from Iran.
Eighty per cent of knee osteoarthritis patients on a ketogenic low energy diet and exercise regime experienced improvements in pain and an average of 10 per cent in loss of body weight, a new trial has reported.
See the 10 most-read stories in the month of November, including Nestle China's insights on the country's infant liquid milk market, Malaysia's Holista Colltech NPD plans for its highly popular probiotic brand Lacto-5, consumption trends...
Kusum Healthcare, a pharmaceutical company based in India, has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for its wholly-synthesized vitamin C and zinc supplement.
An anti-diabetic health functional food containing banaba leaf, bitter melon, and peony root extracts is expected to hit the South Korean market next year.
The biggest-selling supplement brands in China’s mammoth Double 11 shopping festival have been revealed, while insights from Swisse have revealed the growing popularity of TikTok as an e-commerce channel.
Integrative medicine offers vast opportunities to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients, but more randomised clinical trials, better quality control, and clearer health indications are required, according to veteran TCM researcher Professor...
This industry trends round-up will shine the spotlight on microbiome research, alternative protein, and consumers' health and supplement intake habits amid the ongoing pandemic.
Exclusive findings on microbiome research centred around vaccine immunogenicity and gut microbiota changes in COVID-19 patients were revealed at the first edition of our Probiota Asia digital summit for 2021.
China has proposed new changes to its management of Foods for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs), such as prioritising the assessment and registration of products catered to patients suffering from rare diseases, as well as reducing the duration of product...
Australia’s health research institute NICM has partnered with India’s Ministry of AYUSH in advancing the science and use of Ayurvedic medicine in conventional healthcare.
A multi-strain probiotic formula was shown to significantly reduce symptoms of vagina candidiasis – including vagina discharge and irritation – in pregnant women, according to an eight-week RCT conducted in Malaysia.
Sales of sports nutrition, chocolates and gummies in Japan have increased for Meiji, while functional yogurt and formula sales have slumped in comparison to last year’s pandemic-induced spikes.
The Philippines will tap on cutting edge technologies including nutrigenomics and metabolomics to develop nutritional strategies to address the persistent issues of stunting and malnutrition in the country.
Singapore is unlikely to permit the use of cannabidiol (CBD) in supplements in the near future, despite acknowledging it may have a role to play as a medicine.
Food, beverage and nutrition solutions to aid digestive and metabolic health are becoming increasingly popular as Asia’s population rapidly ages, but future NPD needs to make these “effective solutions the easy solutions,” according to experts at the...
Indian researcher Professor Balamurugan Ramadass has detailed how he plans to build on his studies of the gut microbiome and malnutrition in overlooked populations, specifically the elderly and HIV positive patients, through a newly established research...
Brands looking to develop products for mobility and cognitive functions need to take into account several key considerations such as the research and evidence behind the active ingredient, popular delivery formats, the lack of consumer education in Asia...
Australia’s supplements industry has continued to grow amid the pandemic despite a dip in export revenue, with firms finding success by pivoting to immunity products and finding inroads into several new markets, including Iran, Israel and Brazil.
The China authorities have proposed a set of regulations to better distinguish so-called ‘solid beverages’ from infant formula and Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs).
Nine in 10 dietitians in Indonesia have recommended supplements to hospitalised COVID-19 patients, with vitamin C and B complex the most common recommended supplements, a new survey has found.
Our most-read stories for June include a Philippines COVID-19 trial on how virgin coconut oil could reduce inflammation and provide symptom relief, the role of gut microbiota in affecting vaccine efficacy, and Nestlé Health Science China's launch...
This round-up of new scientific developments will feature an upcoming clinical trial in New Zealand on deer milk's benefits for muscle strength in seniors, Philippines' latest findings on virgin coconut oil and COVID-19, and more.
The ratio of cannabidiol (CBD) to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in medicinal cannabis has shown to play a crucial role in improving the physical and functional wellbeing of brain cancer patients, according to newly published findings in a trial funded by...
Consumers suffering from chronic diseases or cancer could be vulnerable to the empty promises and misleading health claims, which is why Dr Janet Schloss, the latest guest on our NutraChampion podcast, has made it her mission to drive an evidence-based...
MGC Pharma is working on introducing its product that has shown to speed up recovery in COVID-19 patients, as a natural health or ayurvedic product in several Asian countries, including India, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand.
In this round-up, we look at new commercial developments in China's health and nutrition industry, including BioGaia's bone health probiotic launch, Herbalife's esports nutrition initiatives and more.
Pre-packaged foods for infants, toddlers, and special medical purposes will now need to follow nutrition labelling standards applicable for all pre-packaged foods in Taiwan, the country’s regulator has ruled.
Clinical trial findings are becoming ever more important in today’s world as consumers are looking beyond label claims and are actively reading up on the health benefits and evidence of ingredients used in immunity products, according to an expert panel.
Consuming Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory’s oral rehydration solution (OS-1) may prevent exercise-associated muscle cramp in young men compared to drinking plain water.
2020 was a year of changing business practices, challenged global supply chains, and skyrocketing sales of dietary supplements and functional foods as consumers took more control of their own health and wellness.
The supplementation of a formulation containing myo-inositol, probiotics, and micronutrients before and during pregnancy could reduce preterm birth, according to a study conducted in Singapore, New Zealand, and UK.
Yiling Pharmaceutical, the company behind TCM/dietary supplement product Lianhua Qingwen, said revenue from its overseas market was up 918.37 per cent in FY2020, after the product was officially recognised by the China authorities as a COVID-19 standard...
Giving huge doses of vitamin D to treat COVID-19 patients has been the protocol in certain parts of the world, but the more urgent need could be addressing underlining deficiency, says the guest who stars in the 16th episode of our NutraChampion podcast.
In this month’s Nutrition Asia, we hear from Ajinomoto and AstaReal – two companies which have been researching and developing nutrition products for improving muscle health among older adults.
South Korea’s import of health functional foods was up 23.4 per cent last year, higher than the three-year annual average of 21.4 per cent, with the US taking the top spot in product volumes.
South Korea will start the third phase of its mandatory traceability programme for special purpose foods, while international brands selling co-enzyme Q10, fish oil and melatonin into China for the first time will still need to enter the market via the...
India’s nutraceutical industry’s hopes of a reduced GST rate on supplements was squashed again when there was no mentioned of special grant for the sector during the recent budget announcement.
South Korea’s third phase of its mandatory traceability program for special purpose foods, including infant formula and Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs), will begin in December this year.
New regulations in Australia is making research on the role of complementary medicine, including Chinese medicine, to manage chronic diseases more attractive, according to a prominent researcher who stars in the 15th episode of our NutraChampion podcast.
China’s reduction of import tariffs, including supplement products such as fish oil soft gel capsules and Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs), will make both imports and local production more competitive, according to industry experts.
See January's 10 most read stories, including new data on how the gut microbiome is linked to severity of COVID-19, Indian firm Windlas Biotech's launch of an artemisinin supplement as an adjunctive to COVID-19 treatment and more.
In this round-up, we shine the spotlight on new scientific findings from Abbott, Ajinomoto, Philippines' virgin coconut oil and COVID-19 human clinical trial, and more.
