On January 27, 2026, Taiwan released the “Guidelines for Safety Assessment of Novel Food Ingredients”, which clarify the definition, required submission materials, and regulatory procedures for novel food ingredients in Taiwan. The guidelines also specify documentation requirements for ingredients produced using genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs), ensuring the safety of such food ingredients for consumption.
On April 22, 2026, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) issued 4 new food materials. Comments are welcomed before May 22, 2026.
On April 2, 2026, the State Administration for Market Regulation released the “Catalog of Health Food Ingredients: Lycopene (Draft for Public Comment)”. The deadline for submitting comments and suggestions is May 10, 2026.
Recently, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) released the “Catalog of Health Food Ingredients: Lycopene (Draft for Public Comment),” proposing to include lycopene in the catalog of health food ingredients and soliciting public feedback.
Recently, according to the National Health Commission’s administrative licensing information system, N-acetylneuraminic acid has been added to the Terminated Review List of New Food Raw Materials. This product is produced using glucose as the raw material through microbial fermentation and multiple processing steps. As it is considered substantially equivalent to the already approved N-acetylneuraminic acid, the review process has been terminated.
Pasteurised Akkermansia muciniphila, also known as inactivated AKK, is a heat-treated, non-viable beneficial gut bacterium associated with metabolic improvement and enhanced intestinal barrier function. As a representative “postbiotic”, it has attracted significant attention.
The U.S. FDA recently approved a color additive petition (CAP 4C0326) submitted by Phytolon, allowing beetroot red to be used as a color additive exempt from batch certification in human food. The FDA accepted the petition on March 12, 2024, and issued a final rule in the Federal Register on February 6, 2026. A new regulation, 21 CFR § 73.39 Beetroot red (under 21 CFR Part 73), was established. The rule will take effect 45 days after publication, i.e., on March 23, 2026.
D-allulose, as a novel and ideal sugar substitute product, has excellent market application potential in the food industry and is a hot topic of attention both domestically and internationally. China first approved D-allulose as a new food ingredient in 2025. However, the application requirements for D-allulose in Japan and South Korea differ from those in China. In Japan and South Korea, it only needs to complete the enzyme preparation application to be marketed, without requiring a marketing authorization. CIRS Group will provide you with a detailed overview of the regulatory compliance requirements and current approval status of D-allulose in Japan and South Korea.
China NHC issued notifications regarding the acceptance of “three new foods”. The applications for 2 new food materials, 2 new food additives and 3 new food-related products have been received.
In 2025, the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) maintained a steady pace in the approval of food ingredients. CIRS Group conducted a statistical review of the 2025 submissions in Australia and New Zealand, aiming to provide data references and trend insights for companies planning to enter the ANZ market.
