In our monthly nutra regulatory round-up, we look at the latest regulatory announcements happening across APAC, including South Korea's plans in implementing a customised health functional food system following the success of a four-year pilot program,...
supplementation of vitamin D alone or a multinutrient combination may significantly improve lung function and disease severity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to findings published in Nutrients.
A study has found that dietary taurine intake was significantly and positively associated with maintenance of knee extension muscle strength over an eight-year period among middle-aged and older Japanese individuals.
More than 110 health hazards involving 18 Foods with Function Claims (FFC) products were declared by FFC businesses over the past two weeks, Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) said.
Assessing obese individuals’ gut microbiota profiles could lead to a more comprehensive understanding of obesity and how to treat those suffering from the condition, according to researchers in China.
Several major infant formula brands, including a2 milk and Danone’s Aptamil, are successfully gaining market share despite a shrinking birth rate and tighter regulatory regime in China, their latest financial results have shown.
Unilever says the launch of its hydration brand Liquid I.V. into China earlier this year came at “the right moment”, citing recent rapid growth in the country’s electrolyte beverage sector as a key factor.
South Korea is on course to implement a “Customised Health Functional Food System” next January, which aims to meet personalised nutrition needs, boost the country’s health functional foods industry, and enhance product safety control.
Korean health and beauty retailer CJ Olive Young is launching Health+, a wellness-focused feature within its mobile app, to strengthen product curation and offer customised recommendations.
China’s infant formula giant Feihe says group profit was down 33.5 per cent in FY23, as the country struggles with raising its birth rate despite introducing a three-child policy three years ago.
Vietnam has completed and recently launched its new digital food safety management system which was developed in partnership with South Korea, with a particular focus on food poisoning outbreak monitoring across the country.
Exclusively breastfed infants in Hong Kong have a tendency to suffer from persistent vitamin D deficiency, necessitating urgent policy intervention to address the issue, say local researchers.
Hair loss prevention is not yet approved as a benefit claim for health functional foods in South Korea, warns regulator Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), which caught 146 online advertisements making related claims.
Japanese firm DyDo DRINCO recently released functional beverages targeted at skin-conscious female consumers, as well as beverages fortified with magnesium and vitamin D, nutrients that the firm says is lacking in the Japanese diet.
Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA), which oversees the Foods with Function Claims (FFC) sector, is asking all businesses to declare any health hazards linked to their products in the wake of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s red yeast rice saga.
A new fixed-dose combination (FDC) of omega-3 and atorvastatin — a medication to treat high blood cholesterol — could improve compliance and convenience among dyslipidaemia patients, according to researchers in South Korea.
Daily intake of 0.4 grams of omega-3 could help more than 95% of diabetics achieve desirable blood sugar levels, according to a Chinese study based on population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PPK-PD) modelling.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in Taiwan often do not disclose their complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use to their physicians, risking potentially adverse side effects or unintended interactions with conventional medications, say local...
Japan’s Kobayashi Pharmaceutical is halting the production of all its red yeast rice raw material and supplements containing the raw material, following consumer complaints of kidney disease. The company is also recalling all of its products that contain...
Daily supplementation with B. longum BB536 can suppress common cold-like symptoms in healthy adults, but future studies are required to clarify how it works, according to a new Morinaga-funded study.
Taiwan has finalised the labelling requirements when making nutrition claims for prepackaged foods, after completing two public consultations across more than two years of deliberation.
China’s dietary supplement giant BYHEALTH has reported strong revenue growth for its business last year, with operating revenue increasing by nearly 20 per cent led by demand for its protein and probiotics powder supplements.
Green tea intake does not appear to reduce the risk of lung cancer, but researchers say more investigations are needed to understand the potential health benefits of its bioactive compounds.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has found 259 cases of problematic online food advertisements claiming to benefit “height growth”, “height promotion”, or positioned as “height nutrition” products for children.
Morinaga Milk is slated to roll out several new Foods with Function Claims (FFCs) that target the major health concerns of Japanese consumers and to meet the increasing demand for multifunctional products.
South Korea’s functional proprietary probiotics market is growing at a faster rate than the generic gut health category, says the CEO of biotech firm AceBiome in our latest Nutrachampion podcast.
Korea Ginseng Corporation (KGC)-owned brand Cheong Kwan Jang is actively expanding its red ginseng snacks line-up to target young consumers amid a thriving retro craze.
India-based banana chips brand Beyond Snack has observed significant evolution of the branded snacks category in the local market, marked by a “discernible shift” towards health-consciousness, authenticity, and premiumisation.
Supplementation with the probiotic L. bulgaricus may not be helpful for losing weight, but it has the potential to decrease blood triglyceride levels, a new trial has reported.
Japanese dairy giant Meiji is set to release a new Foods with Function Claims (FFC) product that it says would support eye accommodation and improve sleep quality.
Continuous maternal folic acid supplementation during the pre-conceptional and prenatal periods may decrease the risk of autism in offspring, according to new research from China.
A meta-analysis conducted by China researchers found that probiotic supplementation could improve body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose, and reduce inflammation among obese and overweight teenagers.
There is growing interest in Middle East’s nutraceutical sector, says Taiwan biotech firm TCI Co. Ltd, which is hoping to gain market share first through its collagen offerings.
Mainstream food and beverage firms flouting Taiwan advertising rules and regulations will now be subject to harsher punishments, with repeat offenders warned their businesses could be closed down.
China National Food Industry Association (CNFIA) is to set industry standards for electrolyte beverages, including its definition, technical and manufacturing, testing, labelling, and packaging requirements.
The intake of specific dietary nutrients has been linked with a reduced risk of dry eye syndrome (DES) among Korean women aged 40 and above, according to a new study.
Kao Corporation has entered into an agreement with Kirin Beverage Company Limited for the transfer of Healthya, a functional tea-catechin beverage brand, to focus its resources on other business areas to achieve its targets for FY2027.
Japan may be an ageing society with a shrinking population, but with preconception care on the rise and a record number of babies born via in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) in recent years, companies such as Bayer Consumer Health are seeing growth opportunities...
The Chinese government’s new draft regulations governing the labelling of pre-packaged foods and beverages contains stricter guidelines, including mandating manufacturers to include clearer information on compound ingredients as well as more country of...
Electrolyte drink Pocari Sweat is seeing strong demand, especially in China in the post-pandemic era, having surpassed the growth rate of sports drinks in the APAC market by more than five times.
A recent study has found that supplementation with a mixture of Crataegus pinnatifida leaves and Citrus unshiu peels, resulted in significant improvements to body weight and fat percentage in overweight adults.
Kirin has reported strong revenue growth for its non-alcoholic beverage business, driven by demand for health functional drinks and especially those in small-volume PET bottles, the company said in its FY2023 financial results.
Oral supplementation of hyaluronic acid in the form of sodium hyaluronate could help older adults maintain their knees in “healthy condition”, says findings from a 12-week RCT funded by Kewpie.
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.
Taiwan-based health food manufacturer Daiken Biomedical believes that patent grants are the “most secure and safe guarantee” to gain consumer trust, and could play a major role in driving business expansion.
There is an ongoing trend of processed sugar products being advertised as Health Functional Foods in South Korea, with products making fatigue recovery and blood sugar control claims sold on e-commerce platforms, warned the country’s food and drug safety...
Multi-strain probiotics supplementation has been found to have positive effects on neurotrophic factors, oxidative stress and inflammation, which play important roles in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to Taiwan researchers.
The supplementation of the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium breve M-16V has shown to modulate the nervous system, such as decreasing heart rate during stress and increasing the production of pipecolic acid – a GABA-like substance for supporting stress...
Meiji has joined hands with skincare and cosmetic brand Albion in launching chocolates and jelly drinks containing glucosylceramide, which Meiji claims is a moisturising ingredient derived from cacao.