China

NutraCast: Neutrogena and Nourished use biometrics to deliver 3D-printed, personalized beauty supplements

24-Feb-2023 By Danielle Masterson

According to research from The Benchmarking Company, 92% of beauty consumers believe the best way to attain beauty objectives is from the inside-out. In order to meet the demand for beauty from within, 3D printed vitamin makers Nourished joined forces...

Foreign policy and the US political landscape: Where does the natural products industry fit in?

21-Nov-2022 By Danielle Masterson

Dietary supplement use among Americans is an all-time high, with the US being the leading worldwide importer of vitamin products last year. With an estimated 90% of ingredients coming from China, US policymakers are zeroed in on foreign policy.

China’s health foods filing: Only two overseas firms received approval in first seven months of 2022 – new data

19-Jul-2022 By Tingmin Koe

Australia’s Healthy Care and Canada’s Jamieson Laboratories were the few overseas firms to receive China’s health foods filing approval in the first seven months of 2022, according to a new report.

Bovine ingredient safe to be added to infant formula EFSA says

12-May-2022 By Liza Laws

A novel food application for a whey protein to be used safely in infant formula has secured a positive opinion.

Usana retrenches as China’s COVID-19 lockdowns take bite out of sales

28-Apr-2022 By Hank Schultz

Usana Health Sciences officials said China’s zero COVID-19 policy hurt the company’s results in its first quarter of 2022. The company has slightly dimmed its full year earnings forecast in response.

UNPA offers support for China’s new customs regulations

31-Jan-2022 By Stephen Daniells

The United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) is offering to help companies navigate China’s new customs decree, which went into effect on January 1.

China’s double 11 trends: Top-selling supplement brands revealed as TikTok takes-off as retail channel

22-Nov-2021 By Tingmin Koe

The biggest-selling supplement brands in China’s mammoth Double 11 shopping festival have been revealed, while insights from Swisse have revealed the growing popularity of TikTok as an e-commerce channel.

UNPA’s Israelsen on proposed mandatory product listing, supply chain issues, and China

16-Nov-2021 By Stephen Daniells

Draft bills circulating around Congress to codify mandatory product listings for dietary supplements are progressing, but many remain cautious and concerned about the proposals. “The details are what matter here,” says Loren Israelsen, president of the...

China’s supplements customs registration: ‘Clearer info’ on international authorities facilitating registration

01-Nov-2021 By Tingmin Koe

There are new updates to China’s customs registration, which will affect all food and supplements exports, with clearer information on the corresponding overseas authorities that are in charge of helping companies with their registration process.

Braced for a big impact: Nutra industry laments lack of clarity over new China customs registrations

31-Aug-2021 By Tingmin Koe

The nutraceutical industry has lamented a lack of clarity over a new factory registration rule that the Chinese authorities will be implementing from January 1, 2022.

Nuherbs VP: Shipping issues unlikely to work themselves out until April 2022

24-Jun-2021 By Stephen Daniells

With over 80% of global trade transported by sea, ongoing issues and bottlenecks in global shipping will continue to impact international raw material and ingredients supplies, which could drag into Spring of 2022, says Wilson Lau, VP of Nuherbs.

China’s e-sports nutrition: Herbalife on big opportunities in fitness, sleep and stress relief segments

30-Apr-2021 By Tingmin Koe

Herbalife says there are vast opportunities to tap into the fitness, sleep, and stress relief nutritional needs of China’s booming e-sports industry.

UNPA's Israelsen on DSHEA 2.0 & CBD: ‘Unless there is unity, it just gets harder’

29-Apr-2021 By Stephen Daniells

Proposed modernizations to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) and solutions to the CBD issue require “an outstanding effort by industry to speak with a united voice”, says Loren Israelsen, President of the United Natural Products...

Growing in APAC: Swedish probiotic firm Probi expands China market via new deal with Sinopharm Foreign Trade

05-Apr-2021 By Tingmin Koe

Swedish probiotic firm Probi is expanding its presence in APAC via a new deal with China National Pharmaceutical Foreign Trade Corporation (Sinopharm Foreign Trade).

UNPA opens doors for China growth & expansion at Natural Health and Nutrition Expo

26-Mar-2021 By Stephen Daniells

With China largely back to normal commerce and activity, the upcoming Natural Health and Nutrition Expo is a “great opportunity” for US dietary supplement companies to grow or expand their China business, says UNPA.

China focus: Health foods registration developments, probiotics and beauty in the spotlight

19-Feb-2021 By Tingmin Koe

In this round-up, we look at new developments concerning health foods registration regulations and the NPD efforts companies are making in the area of beauty-from-within and probiotics.

Increasing competition? China’s lower import tariffs will benefit nutrition imports and domestic market - experts

03-Feb-2021 By Tingmin Koe

China’s reduction of import tariffs, including supplement products such as fish oil soft gel capsules and Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs), will make both imports and local production more competitive, according to industry experts.

Industry 4.0: China’s Sirio Pharma to invest additional US$100m for health foods production

16-Dec-2020 By Tingmin Koe

China’s Sirio Pharma has revealed that it will invest a further RMB$700m (US$106m) on its ‘smart factory’ over the next three years, on top of a current RMB$450m (US$68.7m) project that is helping boost production capacity for gummies, functional drinks,...

NMN momentum: GNC China launches supplement this month, clinical trials in progress

14-Dec-2020 By Tingmin Koe

GNC China has launched its first nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplement this month, after researching and developing the product for the past year.

Personalised eye health nutrition: Amway China study shows machine learning could predict optimal dose

09-Dec-2020 By Tingmin Koe

A study by Amway China has found that machine learning could be used to provide personalised eye health nutrition by predicting the optimal dosage level for different individuals.

Beauty from within: Whitening, anti-ageing, hydration, hair care supplements booming in China– Alibaba

08-Dec-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

Beauty supplements are the fastest growing category within the health and wellness space on Tmall, according to new insights from e-commerce giant Alibaba.

Beyond vitamins and minerals: China’s expanded health food raw material directory comes into effect in March

07-Dec-2020 By Tingmin Koe

China has officially announced the addition of fish oil and four other raw materials into the Health Food Raw Material Directory, which will come into force from March 1 next year.

China’s health claims update: SAMR unveils 24 new indications for public consultation

30-Nov-2020 By Tingmin Koe

China is revamping its list of permitted claims for health foods and has unveiled 24 new claims for public consultation.

COVID-19 changes preferences? China consumers less interested in overseas supplement brands, while trust in TCM rises

04-Nov-2020 By Tingmin Koe

China consumers are placing more trust in traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), with a declining interest in overseas supplement brands and functional foods with health claims, said a consumer survey funded by the High-Value Nutrition National Science...

Food safety overhaul: China announces revamp of national standards for processed and nutritional foods

03-Nov-2020 By Pearly Neo

China is planning to revise safety standards governing multiple processed foods and nutritional ingredients in its latest initiative to battle food contamination and adulteration in the country.

Could 2021 be THE worst year in memory for botanical supply?

Experts sound alarm over 2021 botanical supply challenges

12-Oct-2020 By Stephen Daniells

As sales of dietary supplements and natural products remain high – and many companies report record sales – the strain on the supply chain is immense, and for botanicals in particular, and that means a difficult 2021 could be on the horizon.

‘Too early to tell’: WeChat ban in US unlikely to impact dietary supplement industry

17-Aug-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

The United States’ ban of China’s popular social media application WeChat is unlikely to severely impact businesses in the dietary supplement industry, according to an industry expert.

Online China expansion: Nestle’s personalised nutrition brand Persona reveals e-commerce strategy

10-Aug-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Persona, a Nestle Health Science-acquired personalised nutrition brand, will be opening flagship stores on Tmall and JD to make its products more widely available to consumers in China via e-commerce.

New probiotic approvals: China adds three probiotic strains into new food raw material list

22-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

China has approved three new probiotics strains and the plant oriental penthorum as novel food ingredients.

‘Cynicism and disappointment’: Infant nutrition brands face credibility challenge after latest China scandal

27-May-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Both local Chinese and foreign infant nutrition brands in China are urged to “push hard on safety cues and messages” in light of the recent infant nutrition scandal happening in the country, according to an industry expert.

‘Supplements are key’: Tmall Global to bring 1,000 new brands into China in next 12 months

11-May-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Tmall Global, the e-commerce platform under Alibaba Group, plans to bring 1,000 new international brands into China over the next 12 months, with food supplements as one of the key categories.

Coronavirus: Spotlight on the biotin supply chain

15-Apr-2020 By Danielle Masterson

China accounts for about 80% of the global biotin supply, making it the largest biotin production country in the world. While supply chain dependency on China is a well-known fact for the United States, the crippling impact of the coronavirus in recent...