For related insights on ingredient approvals, see our article on New Food Ingredient Applications in China – H1 2025. Both food ingredients and food additives are regulated under China's "Three New Foods" system.
As of June 30, 2025, China's National Health Commission (NHC) released two official "Three New Foods" announcements (Notice No. 1 and No. 3 of 2025), approving 14 new food additive varieties, including new substances, expanded usage scopes, and updated specifications. This is consistent with the number of approvals granted in the first half of 2024, indicating a stable regulatory pace.
H1 2025 at a glance:
62 new food additive applications accepted by the NHC
21 items released for public consultation by the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA)
14 new food additive approvals published by the NHC
In the first half of 2025, the NHC accepted 62 new food additive applications, spanning categories such as sweeteners, enzyme preparations, nutritional fortifiers, colorants, and gums.
Notable trends:
Sweeteners (e.g. enzyme-converted steviol glycosides, advantame, and glycyrrhizin-based products) showed strong submission activity, reflecting growing demand for low-sugar, low-calorie formulations.
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), including 2'-fucosyllactose and lacto-N-neotetraose, remained a key focus area with over 10 applications filed.
Other frequently submitted additives included sanzan gum, xylanase, and curdlan gum, indicating active use in food processing.
In the same period, the NHC approved 14 new food additive items, broken down as follows:
1 new food additive
2 new nutritional fortifiers
1 new flavoring substance
4 new enzyme preparations
5 expanded usage scopes (3 food additives, 1 nutritional fortifier, 1 processing aid)
1 additive with updated quality specifications
Enzyme preparations accounted for 29% of the approvals—reaffirming their growing importance in food manufacturing and quality optimization across various sectors.
In the first half of 2025, the CFSA conducted three rounds of public consultation (Jan 3, Mar 21, and May 14), covering 21 items across the following categories:
New food additives: 2
New nutritional fortifiers: 4
New enzyme preparations: 6
Expanded uses (additives, fortifiers, and processing aids): 7
Quality specification updates: 2
A significant number of these submissions involve genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) as production hosts—such as for Aminopeptidase N, and lactose oligosaccharides—highlighting the expanding role of synthetic biology in additive innovation.
Meanwhile, ongoing refinements in usage scopes and specifications for existing additives (e.g. steviol glycosides, calcium alginate) are offering businesses greater flexibility in product formulation and innovation—under a compliant framework.
China's food additive regulatory pathway remained stable and diverse in H1 2025. The continued focus on enzyme preparations, sweeteners, and HMOs reflects a shift toward health-focused, functional, and science-driven food development.
It is worth noting that the CFSA's September 2024 notice on Improving Safety Data Requirements for 'Three New Foods' introduced clearer data guidelines—especially for additives produced via GMMs. This is expected to facilitate more transparent and efficient applications going forward.
Looking ahead, microbial expression systems and bio-derived ingredients are likely to remain strong in new submissions. Companies are encouraged to:
Track public consultations closely
Prepare dossiers that meet updated data requirements
Consider the potential of enzyme and GMM-based additives in aligning with China's regulatory trends and market opportunities
ZMUni Compliance Centre provides global regulatory solutions for food and cosmetic products. Backed by 10+ years of experience, our food compliance team specializes in new food ingredient/additive approvals, health food registration, and import/export clearance—helping you navigate complex markets like China, the US, and the EU. For any questions, please contact us at info@zmuni.com.
