The ‘low-risk’ health foods refer to products which are made using vitamins and minerals as the raw materials.
At present, vitamins and minerals can only be made in tablet, hard capsule, soft capsule, oral liquid or granule dosage formats.
The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has also proposed the appropriate production methods and caution for making vitamins and minerals in gummy and powder form in its proposal.
For instance, gummy health foods would only be suitable for use in individuals four years and above. This is to prevent incidence of safety risk such as choking in younger children.
As such, the products should also come with the statement: “Please do not swallow, individuals consuming the product should have the ability to chew solid food.”
The maximum recommended daily intake is 20g and each gummy must not exceed 6g in weight while the shelf life should not exceed 24 months.
The proposal also included a 13-step production method for making gummies, as well as the sensory and taste requirements.
“To push forth the progress of the work behind health foods filing and to allow more types of dosage formats to come under the filing track, the Center for Food Evaluation under the SAMR has drafted the technical requirements,” the SAMR said.
The SAMR has convened a public consultation on the proposal. The consultation will end on Sep 28.
In fact, plans to expand the types of health foods applicable for the filing track are underway, with the SAMR proposing to add in five other raw materials with functional health benefits last month.
They are co-enzyme Q10, melatonin, fish oil, spirulina, and the ganoderma lucidum.
Powder
While the SAMR said that health foods in powder form is suitable for use for all individuals, those that could be directly consumed without dissolving it in water are not recommended for use in children less than six years old.
The maximum daily intake is capped at 20g and the shelf life should not exceed 24 months.
For those that comes in bigger packets, it should not exceed 500g per packet or the amount required for one month’s use.
We’ll be shining the spotlight on reformulation and fortification in our Growth Asia 2020 interactive broadcast series. Register for free here.