ZMUni Compliance Centre

On April 24, 2025, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) issued a public consultation on the draft "Catalog of Permitted Health Claims for Health Foods: Aids in Maintaining Joint Health." Stakeholders are invited to submit their feedback by June 2, 2025

This marks the first new health function proposed to be included in the official health claim catalog since the issuance of the “Implementation Rules for the Evaluation of New Health Functions and Product Technologies of Health Foods (Trial)”.

The newly proposed function, “aids in maintaining joint health,” encompasses several specific benefits, including alleviating joint pain and stiffness, reducing joint swelling, maintaining the health of joint cartilage, and sustaining the well - being of bone joints. These sub - functions are designed to provide a comprehensive approach to joint health support, addressing common concerns among consumers.

Regarding the verification of this new health function, SAMR emphasizes that human feeding trials must serve as the core basis for validation. Animal trials are allowed as supplementary means, primarily to explore the functional mechanisms and biological principles underlying the claimed health benefits. This approach ensures that the health claims are firmly rooted in real - world human experience, enhancing the credibility and reliability of health food products.

In the product application process, applicants have the flexibility to choose from two verification methods. They can either follow the recommended test indicators based on the characteristics of their products or propose innovative research plans. If the innovative plans are successfully demonstrated, they will be incorporated into the function evaluation and inspection system.