Regulatory review: Updates from Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines

Taiwan to approve new functional claims for health foods containing selenium and zinc​​

Taiwan is set to add new functional claims for health foods containing selenium and zinc, with regulators stating this will bring them into line with international standards.

The Food and Drug Administration Taiwan said that it was reviewing Article 4 of “Rules for Identification and Determination of Food and Related Product Labelling, Promotion or Advertisement Which Involves Falseness, Exaggeration, Misunderstanding or Medical Efficacy.​”

As part of the review, it is planning to approve “facilitate anti-oxidation, combat against oxidative stress” as the acceptable physiological functional description for products containing selenium, as well as the claim “facilitate anti-oxidation” for zinc.

South Korea to allow individual resale of health functional foods in year-long pilot project​  ​

South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is planning to allow the reselling of Health Functional Foods (HFF), including red ginseng, probiotics, and vitamins, between individuals.

The year-long pilot project is meant to cut down on wastage and allow individual resale activities to take place conveniently.

Nonetheless, some restrictions might be put in place, such as limiting the number and transaction amount.

South Korea to re-evaluate evening primrose seed extract and eight other raw materials​​

South Korea is re-evaluating the safety and functionality of evening primrose seed extract and eight other raw materials that are used in health functional foods, said the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).

The eight other raw materials are soybean isoflavone, guava leaf extract, lecithin, extract of the algae Haematococcus​, mucopolysaccharides and protein, reishi mushroom fruiting body extract, extract of the fruit Garcinia cambogia​, and collagen peptide.

The re-evaluation is a yearly exercise conducted since 2017 with the aim of ensuring the safety of health functional foods.

Philippines to replace 33-year-old vitamins and minerals regulation, maximum daily limits set​​

The Philippines is set to replace a 33-year-old vitamins and minerals regulation which essentially reclassifies the category as food or dietary supplement, instead of the existing arrangement where it is categorised as either food or drug.

Known as the “Guidelines for the Classification of Vitamins and Minerals for Food/Dietary Supplements under Processed Food Product”, the new framework will replace the existing “Guidelines for the Classification of Vitamins and Minerals as Drug or as Food” set in 1991.

The new guidelines have set maximum levels for a total of 26 vitamins and minerals. For example, the daily maximum level for vitamin C is set at 1,000mg, vitamin D at 25mcg, and iron at 15mg.

Thailand enforcing new maximum RDIs for nine vitamins and minerals from July 2​ ​

Thailand is enforcing new maximum levels for the Recommended Daily Intakes (RDIs) of nine vitamins and minerals from July 2.

This is according to the Ministry of Public Health Announcement (No. 448)​, which made changes to the maximum RDIs set in year 2005 encompassing 28 vitamins and minerals.

For example, the maximum RDI for vitamin D has increased from 5 μg to 15 μg, vitamin C from 60mg to 1,000mg, and biotin from 150 μg to 900 μg.