Imported Products Approved Again! Analysis on China Health Food (Dietary Supplement) Registration Products in the First Half of 2026

In the first half of 2026, the technical review and approval of health food (dietary supplement) progressed steadily.

According to the information released by the Center for Food Evaluation of the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Special Food Information Query Platform, a total of 1136 health food registration approvals were issued in the first half of 2026. Among these, 121 were for new health food products, including three imported products.

CIRS Group conducted a detailed summary of these 121 new products, and analyzed them from the following points.

1. The Overall Situation of Health Food Registration Approvals

Among the 1136 registration approvals, 121 were for new products, accounting for 10.7% of the total. In addition, there were 33 approvals for technology transfer and 982 for other types (such as renewal registration and change registration).

2. The Number of Approved Products in Different Regions

The 121 approved new products were from 20 regions. As shown in Fig.2, Beijing was far ahead with 36 approvals, accounting for nearly 30% of the total. Meanwhile, all three imported new products came from Hong Kong, China.

The table below shows the detailed information on the three imported new products.

Table 1. Information on the three Imported New Products

3. The Number of Approved Products with Different Dosage Forms

The dosage forms of approved new products include capsules, tablets, powder, and oral liquid. Among them, hard capsule products received the largest number of approvals, with 35, accounting for 28.9%, followed by tablet and soft capsule products, with 31 approvals each, both accounting for 25.6%.

4. The Number of Approved Products with Different Health Functions

4.1 Single health function

As shown in Fig.4-1, there are a total of 118 new products approved with a single health function; among them, products with the health function of “aids in enhancing immunity” received the largest number of approvals, with the number of 44. In recent years, driven by factors such as the silver economy and social pressures, health functions targeting specific populations have also experienced a significant surge in applications, such as aids in increasing bone density and aids in promoting regular bowel movements.

4.2 Dual health functions

In the first half of 2026, the number of new products approved with dual health functions was relatively small, with only three products (including one imported new product) receiving approval.

5. CIRS Comments

In conclusion, the domestic health food registration market remains in a phase of steady progress. However, the outbreak of the “Youthit” incident has triggered a consumer trust crisis within the industry. Due to this, the technical review and supervision of health food will become increasingly strict in the future.

For enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises that intend to apply for health food registration, in addition to sufficient funding, it is also crucial to find a partner who possesses keen insight into regulatory changes and is familiar with the entire application process. CIRS Group has been deeply engaged in the field of health food compliance for many years. We are always ready to receive your inquiries.

Data Source: Special Food Information Query Platform of State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and new approval announcements.

Note: There may be a lag in the data release of the Special Food Information Query Platform. The data in this article is only for reference, and the actual situation is subject to the official announcement.

Free Webinar

To help companies respond to these policy changes, CIRS Group, together with HPA-Global, is to host a free webinar on the Policy Trends in Cross-Border E-Commerce for Imported Health Foods & Blue Hat Registration and Filing on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 12:00-13:00 EST. Please click here for more details.

❤ As a special bonus, all attendees will receive comprehensive guidance on health food registration and filing in China free of charge after the webinar.

About CIRS 

Established in 2007, the CIRS Group is a leading product safety and regulatory consulting firm. CIRS has branch offices in the Republic of Ireland, South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and China. CIRS Group utilizes its technical expertise, various resources, and international network to provide one-stop compliance services from regulatory compliance, laboratory testing, R&D to data services across multiple industries. This includes chemicals, cosmetics, food and food beverages, medical devices, agrochemical products, disinfectants, and consumer goods. It helps clients gain a competitive advantage by reducing business risks associated with regulatory affairs.

The vast majority of members in CIRS Food Business Division have over 10 years of professional experience in food compliance, with more than 80% holding Master’s or Doctoral degrees in food-related disciplines. The CIRS toxicology expert team consists 24 Chinese Certified Toxicologists (DCST), 2 American Board Certified Toxicologists (DABT), and 2 European Registered Toxicologists (ERT). CIRS has provided one-stop food compliance services to over 1,000 domestic and international food and related enterprises. Leveraging its technical expertise, diverse resources, and global network, the CIRS Food Business Division offers global food compliance services, including but not limited to:

• Health food registration and filing in China;
• Application for “Three New Foods (new food additives, new food raw materials and new food-related products” in China;
• U.S. GRAS, NDI, and CAP notifications;
• EU Novel Food, food additives, and food enzymes applications; and
• Application for new feed ingredients and feed additives in China, the U.S., and the EU.

If you need any assistance or have any questions, please get in touch with us via service@cirs-group.com.