Driven by a global wave of food innovation, regulatory compliance and market access for novel food ingredients and additives have become critical hurdles for companies expanding internationally. Under these circumstances, CIRS Group has prepared the White Paper Series on Global Novel Food and Feed Ingredient Submissions, with the aim of helping businesses navigate the evolving global regulations and accelerate global expansion.

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on S-acetyl glutathione (SAG) as a novel food (NF) pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283.

On August 31, 2026, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) issued 3 new food materials. Comments are welcomed before September 30, 2026.

On September 1, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) of Korea announced revisions to the Enforcement Rules of the Food Sanitation Act. The revisions include significant adjustments to the application fees for the temporary recognition of food ingredients and safety reviews of genetically modified foods, attracting considerable attention from the food industry.

As a leading global product safety and regulatory compliance consulting agency, CIRS Group has long specialized in food, feed, pet food, synthetic biology ingredients, etc. CIRS Group has established a robust global service network covering China, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and other major international markets.

On August 3, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued Notice No. 2026-15761, revising the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for isofetamid in certain foods. The notice was officially published in the Federal Register on August 4, 2026, and took effect on the date of publication.

As an important feed and pet food consumption market, the United States has a complex regulatory framework for market access. With multiple submission pathways—including FAP, GRAS, AFIC, and SRIS—many exporting companies find it difficult to determine the most appropriate route. To help companies address compliance challenges when entering the U.S. market, CIRS Group provided an in-depth overview of the U.S. feed regulatory framework, requirements for each submission pathway and a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the four major pathways.

Following the launch of our first guidance - Guide to U.S. GRAS Notification, CIRS Group is proud to unveil our second guidebook in our Global Ingredient Compliance Series: Guide to U.S. New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) Notifications. This guide rounds out the essential compliance roadmap for companies bringing new dietary ingredients (NDI) to the U.S. market.

On August 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of HHS officially issued a proposed rule on mandatory GRAS notifications. The FDA proposes to change the current voluntary GRAS notification process to a mandatory system, directly targeting the Self-GRAS pathway.

On July 8, 2026, South Korea’s MFDS expanded mandatory GM food labeling to include products like soy sauce, sugars, and edible oils made with GM ingredients, even if no GM DNA or protein remains. After industry discussions and a WTO notification, labeling takes effect December 31, 2026, with sugars and oils delayed until December 31, 2027.