This article focuses on summarizing the regulatory developments related to food within China and internationally in January 2025, with an emphasis on updates in regulations concerning new food ingredients, food additives, feed additives, and special foods.
1. On December 31, 2024, the Hainan Provincial Market Supervision Administration released two guidelines related to special foods: the Application Guidelines for Temporary Import and Use of Food for Special Medical Purpose in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone of the Hainan Free Trade Port(Trial) and the Application Guidelines for Temporary Import and Use of Health Foods in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone of the Hainan Free Trade Port(Trial) . This marks a further increase in policy innovation and openness in the special food sector within the Hainan Free Trade Port.
Official Source: https://www.hainan.gov.cn/hainan/szfwj/202412/66b8298908aa4939bedef4dcacfa026e.shtml
2. On January 8, 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation(SAMR) issued the "Registration Guidelines for Special Medical Purpose All-Nutrition Formula Foods", further optimizing the registration management of FSMP.
Official Source: https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/tssps/art/2025/art_ccfc82fab90741469cc3934b7b90449c.html
3. On January 17, 2025, the Food Evaluation Center of the SAMR updated three Q&A documents related to health food ingredients. The updates primarily address how to handle the registration or filing of products in cases where the ingredients have been included in the Health Food Ingredient Directory but exhibit one or more of the following situations: the daily dosage exceeds the specified range, the dosage form is not within the allowable filing scope, or the claimed health function falls outside the permissible filing range.
Official Source: https://www.cfe-samr.org.cn/zyyw/bjsp/qt_255/
4. On January 10, 2025, the China Nutrition Society released four group standards invloving nutritional food, they are:
T/CNSS 031-2024 Technical Guidelines for Scientific Evidence Evaluation of Health Function Claims of Health Food Ingredients
T/CNSS 032-2024 Terminology for Probiotics
T/CNSS 033-2024 Specifications for Nutrition and Health Services
T/CNSS 034-2024 Determination of Folic Acid in Human Blood
Official Source: https://www.cnsoc.org/notice/012510200.html
1. On January 3, 2025, China's National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) issued a public solicitation for opinions on the new varities of food additive Enzymatically Produced Steviol Glycosides, Aspergillus Niger and the expanded use of the food additive deacetylated chitosan (also known as chitosan).
Official Source: https://www.cfsa.net.cn/spaqbz/xzxkzqyj/2025/14626.shtml
2. On January 6, 2025, China CFSA initiated a public consultation on two new food ingredients: Olive Fruit Polyphenols and Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3799.
Official Source: https://cfsa.net.cn/spaqbz/xzxkzqyj/2025/14628.shtml
On January 7, 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China released the draft industry standard for QB/T 4791 Creamer for public consultation.
Official Source: http://chinabeverage.org/details-8628.html
1. On January 3, 2025, the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) released the draft Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food for public comment. The draft for comment proposes reducing the list of food categories requiring an official recommendation letter for registration, from the original 18 to 11. This includes the removal of categories such as special dietary foods, health foods, seasonings, and edible oils.
Official Source: https://www.zmuni.com/en/news/china-proposes-updates-to-streamline-gacc-registration-for/
2. On January 14, 2025, GACC released the list of non-compliant imported food from December 2024. In December 2024, a total of 460 batches of food products were returned or destroyed in China, with a total weight of 3,451 tons.
Official Source: http://jckspj.customs.gov.cn/spj/xxfw39/fxyj47/4677516/index.html
On January 15, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began revising the color additive regulations based on the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), which will prohibit the use of FD&C Red No. 3 (erythrosine) in food and injectable drugs.
Official Source: https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-revoke-authorization-use-red-no-3-food-and-ingested-drugs
On January 15, 2025, US FDA proposed a requirement for front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labeling on most food packaging, which would help consumers quickly identify the nutritional health information of the food. The new "FOP nutrition labeling" will be displayed on the front of food packaging, making it easier for consumers to view the content of saturated fat, sodium (salt), and added sugars.
Official Source: https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-00778.pdf
In January 2025, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published four new scientific opinions related to novel foods, covering the following topics:
· The safety of phytosterols/phytostanols as a specification change for novel foods.
· The safety of oil from Schizochytrium limacinum (strain ATCC-20889) as a novel food for infant and follow-on formula.
· The safety of frozen and dried forms of whole yellow mealworm as a novel food.
· The safety of mineral salt containing potassium and magnesium as a novel food.
Official Source: https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/search?f%5B0%5D=topic%3A359
In January 2025, EFSA also published eight scientific opinions regarding feed additives, involving Lactococcus lactis NCIMB 30005, chromium propionate, canthaxanthin, peppermint oil & Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB 30094.
Official Source: https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/search?f%5B0%5D=topic%3A358
In January 2025, the European Commission approved four substances for market release as novel foods: UV-treated powder of whole yellow mealworm, isomalto-oligosaccharides, heat-treated Lemna minor and Lemna gibba plants, and glucosyl hesperidin.
On January 22, 2025, the European Commission issued Regulation (EU) 2025/96, approving grape seed extract as a fundamental substance.
On January 30, 2025, Health Canada released M-SIS-25-02, which updates the List of Permitted Supplemental Ingredients. This update now allows the use of milk thistle seed extract (silymarin), effective immediately.
Official Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/supplemented-foods/list-permitted-food-ingredients.html
On January 7, 2025, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) of South Korea announced the results of the re-evaluation of nine categories of functional health food ingredients for 2024, including garcinia cambogia extract, soy isoflavones, guava leaf extract, evening primrose seed extract, lecithin, haematococcus extract, mucopolysaccharides-protein complex, reishi mushroom fruiting body extract, garcinia cambogia extract, and collagen peptides.
Based on the re-evaluation results, additional "consumption precautions" were added, the "daily intake levels" were reset, and "heavy metal standards" were strengthened. The Ganoderma lucidum fruiting body extract, which had not confirmed its functionality, was removed from the list of functional ingredients. Products containing this extract are required to display warning information such as "Discontinue use and consult an expert in case of abnormal reactions" to ensure consumer health and safety.
On December 30, 2024, the National Law Information Center of South Korea issued Prime Minister's Order No. 2004, amending the enforcement rules of the Food Labeling and Advertising Act. This amendment officially took effect upon publication. The core content of this revision includes enhancing consumers' right to know about nutritional information by including carbohydrates, butter, and animal processing products in the list of foods requiring mandatory labeling. The labeling requirements for liquid caffeinated foods have been extended to solid caffeinated foods made from guarana. Additionally, frozen foods that can be consumed without thawing (such as ice cubes and ice cream) may be labeled as ready-to-eat products.
Official Source: https://www.law.go.kr/lsSc.do?menuId=1&subMenuId=23&tabMenuId=121&query=#Eundefined
*This article is compiled by ZMUni Compliance Center, based on the latest regulatory updates from food-related regulatory authorities/agencies in various countries/regions.
