ZMUni Compliance Centre

This article provides a comprehensive overview of key regulatory developments in the food sector in February 2026, both in China and internationally. It focuses on updates related to new food ingredients, food additives, health foods, and feed, aiming to offer timely and in-depth regulatory alerts for enterprises engaged in food import and export.   China Food Regulatory Updates China   🔘 China Three New Foods Updates in February   Issue Date Type Category Substance February 5, 2026 Approval Notice Three New Foods See details February 11, 2026 Public Consultation New Food Ingredient Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CP-9 February 14, 2026 Public Consultation

The global cosmetics regulatory environment continues to evolve. To help businesses stay updated with regulatory changes, ZMUni Compliance Center regularly releases a monthly recap of global cosmetics regulations. This article covers the regulatory developments related to cosmetics in China and globally in February 2026, with an emphasis on updates in cosmetic ingredients and cosmetic management, among other areas.     China Cosmetic Regulatory Updates New Cosmetics Ingredients (NCI) In February 2026, 17 new cosmetic ingredients were notified with the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). They include:   The technical requirements for the 17 NCIs mentioned above have not been disclosed, and they have not

  From February 24 to March 3, 2026, 7 new cosmetic ingredients (NCIs) have completed notifications with China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).      Staphylococcus Epidermidis Ferment Filtrate Staphylococcus epidermidis is a commensal bacterium naturally found on human skin. Often referred to as a "sentinel bacterium," it plays an important role in maintaining skin homeostasis.   Freda previously published a related study in Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins (DOI: 10.1007/s12602-025-10877-9). The research focused on the cell-free fermentation supernatant of Staphylococcus epidermidis CCSM0322, a strain isolated from healthy skin. Its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and skin barrier protective effects were evaluated using a UVB-induced HaCaT in vitro model.  

  From February 6 to 24, 2026, 5 new cosmetic ingredients (NCIs) have completed notifications with China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).   Although the technical requirements have not yet been disclosed, their general categories can be inferred from the ingredient nomenclature. Judging from the names, they cover a plant extract, a fermentation-derived ingredient, a synthetic polymer, a nucleic acid–based derivative, and a bioactive peptide.     Dendrobium Huoshanense Stem Extract Dendrobium huoshanense, also known as Mi Hu (米斛), is a Dendrobium species endemic to Huoshan County, Anhui Province, China. It is regarded as the most valuable species among Dendrobium used in traditional Chinese medicine.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of key regulatory developments in the food sector in January 2026, both in China and internationally. It focuses on updates related to new food ingredients, food additives, health foods, and feed, aiming to offer timely and in-depth regulatory alerts for enterprises engaged in food import and export.   China Food Regulatory Updates Chinese Mainland   🔘 China Approves New Health Function Claims to Support Bone and Joint Health   On January 15, 2026, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) officially added a new health function to the Health Function Catalogue Allowed for Health Food Claims - Helps

    On February 6, China's National Institute for Food and Drug Control(NIFDC) issued a notice, seeking public comments on six cosmetic standards, all of which pertain to microbiological testing methods. Comments can be submitted through the Cosmetic Standards Development and Revision Management System by March 22, 2026.   The six draft standards are as follows: 1. General Guidelines for Microbiological Examination Methods in Cosmetics 2. Aerobic Plate Count in Cosmetics 3. Detection of Thermotolerant Coliform Bacteria in Cosmetics 4. Detection of Staphylococcus Aureus in Cosmetics 5. Detection of Mold and Yeast in Cosmetics 6. Detection of Burkholderia cepacia Complex in Cosmetics

From January 24 to February 6, 2026, 12 new cosmetic ingredients (NCIs) have completed notifications with China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).     The technical requirements for the 12 NCIs mentioned above have not been disclosed, and they have not yet entered the safety monitoring period. Among them, biotech-based ingredients represent the largest share and have emerged as a key focus in China's NCI notification landscape in recent years.     Chemical Ingredients   Chemical ingredients are characterized by well-defined molecular structures and relatively mature manufacturing processes. Among all NCIs notified to date, chemical ingredients still represent the largest category.   Notification 20260017 by Botanee Group This ingredient marks

    On February 5, 2026, China's National Health Commission (NHC) officially approved 22 substances as "Three-New Food", including 5 new food ingredients, 11 new food additive varieties, and 6new food-related products.   The details of the new food ingredients and additive varieties are as follows:   New food ingredients:   No. Name in CN Name in EN 1 栀子油 Gardenia oil 2 香玉牡丹花 XiangYu peony flower 3 褐藻寡糖 Alginate oligosaccharide 4 长双歧杆菌婴儿亚种 YLGB-1496 Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis YLGB-1496 5 亚麻荠籽油 Camelina seed oil   New varieties of food additives   No. Name in EN Remark 1 D-psicose3-epimerase New varieties of enzyme preparation 2 Glucoseisomerase (xyloseisomerase) 3 Deaminase 4 Sucrose