Australia’s complementary medicines industry is “in a good position” compared to many other countries when it comes to meeting China’s new customs regulations which will kick in next January, says a leading figure at the Therapeutic Goods Administration...
South Korea has introduced an ‘S mark’ certification for food products that have undergone review and been approved as elderly-friendly, with products for the ageing population being dubbed a ‘future food’ category for the country.
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.
Japan’s Food with Functional Claims (FFC) system has recorded its highest number of notifications at 691 products in the first half of the current fiscal year from April 2021 to September 2021, compared to 496 products in the corresponding period last...
South Korea is allowing vitamins, minerals, and supplements (VMS) to be made into more types of dosage forms, with jelly, film, and disintegrating tablets added into the list of permitted formats for VMS.
New Zealand’s food industry trade body will back plans put forward by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to update genetically modified food regulations, arguing the rules are not becoming less strict, but instead take into account recent tech...
South Korea is going digital in its efforts to crackdown on imported kimchi and related products masquerading as being locally produced, after identifying a large leap in the imports of ingredients traditionally used to in the sector.
Taiwan is seeking to approve new regulations that will enforce tougher nutritional labelling regulations for all packaged foods in the country once implemented, in a bid to prevent ‘hidden’ or ‘implied’ messages from manufacturers regarding calorific...
Japan has urged all local food and beverage brands to ensure that processes are in place to transition to new origin of raw material rules, in order to keep operations running smoothly and avoid ‘disturbances’.
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.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has completed yet another clampdown exercise – this time round on advertisements of general foods and health functional foods that make claims in improving students’ memory and immunity.
Regulators across Asia Pacific are paying more attention to the rapidly growing probiotic market and have introduced new policies to keep up with the category’s development, said regulatory specialists on the third day of our Probiota Asia digital summit.
Australian supplements giant Blackmores has detailed the sustainability advances it has made over the past 12 months, spanning carbon reduction, packaging and supply chain improvements, but challenges persist, most notably around waste to landfill.
The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration has proposed new changes to the “Regulations on Nutrition Claim for Pre-packaged Food Products”, including specifying the protein, B vitamins, folic acid, and biotin requirements for different groups of individuals....
There are new updates to China’s customs registration, which will affect all food and supplements exports, with clearer information on the corresponding overseas authorities that are in charge of helping companies with their registration process.
Malaysia’s pending approval on palm tocotrienol’s antioxidant claims could help consumers gain a better understanding of the locally grown crop’s health benefits.
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...
South African firm Afraceuticals and its exclusive Australian distributor Pathway International are applying for a branded Pelargonium sidoides extract to receive regulatory approval in the country.
India’s Ministry of AYUSH has released a statement that advised against the use of ashwagandha leaves in Ayurveda and products for therapeutic purposes.
Australia’s regulator has identified weight loss and hangover cures products amongst its top priorities in its clampdown against problematic advertisements.
South Korea has made locusts the nation’s tenth approved edible insect, as well as publishing a new set of guidelines for the manufacturing of relevant products.
South Korea is tightening its watch over the quality of krill oil by proposing to follow the CODEX standards, including setting a minimum requirement for phospholipids concentration and limiting the amount of linoleic acid and myristic acid.
South Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is stemming the advertising of fermented milk as products with health benefits, such as improving intestinal and immune health, in its latest crackdown on probiotic-related products.
The Korea Consumer Agency has urged the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) to re-evaluate the use of aloe vera whole leaf extract in health functional foods, cliaming long-term use could lead to side-effects, such as decreased colon function.
Indian trade association the Expert Nutraceutical Advocacy Council (ENAC) has unveiled 'The Ultimate Compendium of Nutraceuticals' to coincide with its first International Nutraceutical Day.
The nutraceutical industry has lamented a lack of clarity over a new factory registration rule that the Chinese authorities will be implementing from January 1, 2022.
The New Zealand food industry is calling for an updated national nutrition study to find out accurate folic acid intake levels in order to ensure that the government is not ’flying blind’ in its recent decision to mandate the addition of this to flour.
South Korean consumers have petitioned the country’s Ministry of Foods and Drug Safety (MFDS) to inspect imported krill oil products, amid a string of scandals in the past year.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has again amended its rules on Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals, a matter of weeks after originally publishing updated regulations.
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has proposed stricter rules for ingredient labelling in infant formulas, with particularly stringent developments for products designed for babies up to six months of age.
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.
The Australian manuka honey industry has gathered over 5,000 pages of information to fight back in court against New Zealand’s recent attempts to trademark the name ‘manuka’ for its honey, after failed attempts to reach a truce.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has uncovered products containing Viagra and other medicines used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) entering the country under the guise of vitamin C and bromelain supplements.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has published new rules on the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals which will come into force from July 1, 2023, with increases in the RDA of calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin...
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) will continue with its high profile crackdown on non-compliant probiotic and krill oil products, with a market expert telling us it is ‘no coincidence’ that these categories remain in the spotlight.
Malaysia’s dietary supplement industry body is pushing for the removal of sales and service tax (SST), import taxes, and the approval of innovative supplement products in its efforts in promoting the use of supplements in the country.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is taking action against 21 e-commerce websites selling protein bars marketed with ‘fake’ claims, including body fat reduction and muscle strength related statements.
Taiwan has become the latest APAC region to approve the use of 2’-fucosyllactose (2’-FL) – a human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) – in nutrition products for infant and young children, with firms hopeful of further sector growth as more authorities permit...
Australian nootropic company Neuratech is switching from capsules to powders after regulators introduced new rules meaning pill-based products would be classed at therapeutic goods.
South Korean food and beverage firms have just had a massive new market open up to them after trade discussions between the government and the European Union (EU) led to all 27 EU countries accepting ‘complex food’ imports from South Korea such as bread,...
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...
The redefinition of postbiotics, Taiwan animal test ban on anti-fatigue health claims, and new fish oil standards in Thailand are some of the topics covered in this regulatory round-up.
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).
The South Korean authorities have proposed new precautionary information for eight functional ingredients, including ginseng and milk thistle, as well as adjusting the daily intake level of indigestible maltodextrin and aloe gel.
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), black ginger and indigestible dextrin are the top three most popular ingredients used in products notified under Japan’s Foods with Function Claims (FFC) in fiscal 2020.
The European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) has rejected claims a peptide blend included in infant formula could reduce the risk of developing atopic dermatitis.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) claimed that three imported probiotics from Canada and Australia had actual probiotic counts that were lower than the indicated amount in its latest inspection exercise.
A record number of 1,067 products were notified under the Foods with Function Claims (FFC) system in Japan from April 2020 to March 2021, exclusive new data shared with NutraIngredients-Asia reveals.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) recently concluded a lead safety inspection on imported US baby food brands sold in the country and one product by US brand - Plum Organics – was found to contain lead exceeding permitted levels.
