Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved an application by Nestle Australia and Nestle New Zealand to reduce the minimum protein requirement for milk-based follow-on formula.
The Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) of Japan has included almonds to its current list of food ingredients that are recommended for clear display on processed and other food labels after a survey revealed it as the third-highest cause of nut-related allergies...
Firms which are planning to enter China’s probiotic market should take note of six key challenges surrounding the types of ingredients available for use, consumers’ understanding, and approved health claims.
Australia’s supplements sector has more than doubled its exports sales to $900m over the past two years, and now it is on a mission to achieve that feat again by 2021.
The Australian supplements industry may have a much lauded regulatory regime on the global stage, but a leading figure at regulator the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has argued it is “not yet world class”.
In this round-up, we bring you some of the latest regulatory developments taking place in the health foods industry, with topics spanning from Foods for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs), food fortification in India, and the sales of energy drink in New...
Singapore is set to introduce mandatory colour-coded front-of-pack nutrition label and ban advertising for pre-packaged sugar sweetened beverages (SSB), a move that has caused the industry to voice doubts, while health policy experts have welcomed the...
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has pointed out supply and demand alignment as one of the key challenges in scaling up food fortification rates in the country.
Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) has for the first time issued a direct warning to a named company under the consumer safety law regarding health foods.
Half of Asia’s paediatric associations had received commercial funding from breast-milk substitutes (BMS) infant formula manufacturers, against recommendation from the World Health Assembly, new research claims.
China’s addition of six new Free Trade Zone (FTZ) will strengthen regional trade for supplements and functional foods, but a lack of harmonised regulations means it would not fulfil its potential, according to industry players.
The New Zealand food and beverage industry has responded with doubt over the efficacy and benefits of supermarket Countdown’s decision to ban the sales of energy drinks to all consumers under the age of 16.
Taiwan FDA has drafted guidelines on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for health supplements, which is expected to help smoothen export procedures for locally-made health supplements.
Top tips, and the major pitfalls to avoid, when trying to crack China’s fast-growing probiotics market will be the topic of a keynote presentation at our forthcoming Probiota Asia Summit in Singapore.
New Zealand supermarket chain Countdown has banned the sale of energy drinks to under 16s, with its 180 outlets requiring young customers to present their ID when seeking to make purchases.
Read the latest regulatory developments in the health supplement scene, including the Thai authorities’ recent approval of hemp and CBD use in herbal products, Chinese authorities adding new requirements to health supplements product labelling and more....
A new New Zealand report has revived calls for the government to make the Health Star Rating (HSR) system mandatory in the country after highlighting that almost all leading food brands carried high numbers of ultra-processed foods.
Health foods firms selling to China will need to adhere to more product labelling requirements in January next year and new guidelines for raw material filling process will kick in from next month.
An industry expert has voiced criticism over the newly-established Vietnam-Malaysia halal certification centre, saying that this could potentially open up the local food industry to more food safety and food fraud issues.
Despite the ongoing tensions between the United States and China, there are still multiple opportunities for Chinese food and beverage and nutrition firms, particularly those in the health sector, to secure business success, according to an industry expert.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a formal order mandating compulsory third party food safety auditing for all food companies that deal in ‘high-risk’ product categories in hopes of reducing the need for frequent government...
While Singapore public health officials are taking strides to persuade adults and school-age children to steer away from sugar, their awareness campaigns appear to be missing a crucial segment of society—babies and infants.
Read about China’s proposal to tighten its infant formula registration process, how sports supplements sold in India are to adhere to the country’s Food, Safety, and Standards Regulations, and the debate surrounding sugar taxes.
Trade body Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) has reassured the safety of Australian made supplements but cautioned against the online purchase of overseas products, amid ongoing doping saga involving national swimmer Shayna Jack.
The Chinese authorities have proposed five changes to the country’s infant formula milk powder registration process, in a bid to boost the level of quality, scientific evidence, and safe consumption of the products.
Indian regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI) has announced that all dietary supplements for sports use will be categorised as Foods for Special Dietary Uses (FSDU), which means that manufacturers will need to operate according to...
Sugar sweetened beverages are one of very few “clearly unhealthy products” that are readily promoted to children and “significantly contribute” to poorer health outcomes as people age, according to a leading health consultant.
Simply “slapping on” a sugar tax to sugar sweetened beverage tax to tackle obesity, diabetes and improving long-term health outcomes when Asia’s ageing population reaches its senior years is misguided, according to the CEO of the Australian Beverages...
A consultation process over Australia’s Country of Origin labelling rules is underway – the guidelines which came under scrutiny after a leading brand was refused permission to use ‘Made in Australia’ claims for products using imported fish oil.
Read about regulatory developments across APAC’s health foods market, including the pending expansion of new nutrient function claims in Thailand and Chinese market regulator call for evidence of efficacy.
There is a need for more research and funding for elderly nutrition as the world’s population rapidly ages, executive leading academic from Nestlé’s Institute of Health Science told our Healthy Ageing APAC Summit in Singapore.
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) is encouraging health food firms to contribute to the expansion of the Health Food Raw Materials Directory by presenting evidence to support the functional efficacy of ingredients to the unit.
Read about the TGA's ongoing crackdown on unlicensed supplements, dangerous consumer trends around 'natural' product use, China's action plans for food safety, and infant formula proposals in India, Australia and New Zealand.
The growing popularity of nootropics and sports nutrition supplements is leading to a boom in unlicensed products being sold online, with Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently seizing a raft of items.
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA) recent seizure of unlicensed bloodroot and black salve supplements has highlighted a dangerous emerging trend for unlicensed ‘natural’ products that claim to help fight cancers.
Read about China's ambitious food safety plans, India's proposal on infant food for special medical purposes, Nestlé Australia and NZ's bid to lower protein content in follow-on formula, and functional health claims in Japan and Korea.
China has outlined a set of food safety proposals to achieve two main goals: to ensure that 98% of all products fulfil spot-check requirements by 2020, and that the nation's food safety standards will be regarded as the world's best by 2035.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a notification on a draft regulation for infant nutrition safety standards, calling for industry stakeholders to submit their comments.
Nestlé has applied to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to reduce the minimum protein requirement for milk-based follow-on formula in the Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code.
FANCL, Nippon Suisan, and Ezaki Glico are three of the biggest beneficiaries of Japan's Food with Function Claims (FFC), which was introduced four years ago and gave firms more opportunities to make health claims without going through the more stringent...
South Korean consumers have raised concerns, including fears of price hikes and a spike in fake health claims, when the country permits some functional health claims to be applied to general foods.
Carrying the official logo of the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificates for health food is crucial for smooth exports, the government unit said.
South Korean authorities will revise current regulations and introduce safety measures in the booming personalised nutrition industry, including strengthening the quality control of personalised functional health foods, regulating advertising, and assessing...
China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has published a list of fake or illegal product advertising cases covering health foods for the first time this year, with many carrying a raft of exaggerated claims.
The time is now for industry to voluntarily improve the transparency of probiotic product quality, even in the absence of regulatory requirements, says a recent review.
Stricter infant formula marketing rules in New Zealand have been working well for both industry and consumers so far, according to trade association the Infant Nutrition Council (INC).