Thai FDA drafts new policies on health products import and export
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revealed plans to draft new legislations governing the import, export, and transit of health products, including health supplements.
The aim is to update existing legislations that have been in place for the past 40-odd years.
While promoting modern business operations, the Thai FDA also aims to improve health product laws in protecting consumer safety.
Body fat reducing Garcinia cambogia under new usage warnings in South Korea
Garcinia cambogia, a plant commonly used for weight management, can no longer be made into health functional foods with other ingredients that similarly have body fat reduction functions in South Korea.
Manufacturers will also need to add the precaution statement “avoid consumption with functional health foods that reduce body fat” if their products contain Garcinia cambogia.
This was a response to reports of adverse health events in people who took Garcinia cambogia products, including urticaria and abdominal pain.
New nutra regulations that come into force in 2025: What you should know
Here is a round-up of new nutraceutical regulations that will be implemented in major APAC nutraceutical markets this year.
In Australia for example, supplements containing Garcinia gummi-gutta and ingredients that similarly contain hydroxycitric acid will need to warn consumers of liver harm risks on the product labelling from March 1.
In Japan, companies making Foods with Function Claims (FFC) will need to follow PRISMA 2020 when submitting systematic review evidence on their product from April 1.
Korean regulator may allow functional ingredient use for leg swelling, intestinal discomfort relief
South Korea could see the use of functional ingredients for relieving leg swelling and intestinal discomfort.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) said it would be introducing guidelines to assess the efficacy of such functional ingredients.
The guidelines would cover human clinical trials requirements, biomarkers toe measure, and the intervention period.
Regulatory focus: Top 10 most-read APAC nutraceutical regulatory news of 2024
Find out the 10 most-read nutraceutical regulatory news on NutraIngredients-Asia last year, with developments from India, Australia, and Thailand topping the list.
The debate over whether the drug authority should take over control of nutraceuticals in India was the most-read regulatory news last year.
The second-most read regulatory news was regarding a safety advisory by Australian authorities on the link between overseas Ashwagandha supplement use and gastrointestinal symptoms.
