CIRS Group Korea will take part in the 2026 Alternative Food Industry Expert Training Program (Cell-Cultured Food) run by the World Food Tech Council, delivering a session on the regulatory status and practice for novel food ingredients in overseas markets.

The Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notification pathway remains a critical route for food ingredient regulatory compliance and commercialization in the United States. Following our previous reviews for Q1 and H1 2026, CIRS Group compiled the latest GRAS notification updates published on the official U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website from July through October 15, 2026.

Recently, China's National Health Commission (NHC) issued notifications regarding the approval and review of “Three new foods” (new food raw materials, new food additives, and new food-related products). The notifications included: 5 notifications of extension notice; 7 notifications of review opinions. 1 non-approval decisions.

China NHC issued notifications regarding the acceptance of “three new foods”. The applications for 1 new food materials and 4 new food additives have been received.

South Korea’s Amendment No. 21948 to the Special Act on Imported Food Safety Management takes effect March 16, 2027. It mandates the revocation of overseas facility registrations extended through fraudulent means and switches the distribution traceability threshold for imported health functional foods from domestic sales amount to customs import value.

On October 12, 2026, China’s CFSA opened a public consultation through November 12, 2026, on six safety-approved food additives. Proposals include new enzyme D-Allulose 3-epimerase, new fortifiers UPU and LNT, expanded uses for white mineral oil and calcium 6S-5-methyltetrahydrofolate, and updated specifications for synthetic Vitamin E.

On October 10, 2026, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) released the Draft Amendment to the Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China for public comment. The proposed amendments introduce several notable regulatory updates for the health food sector, aimed at streamlining approvals and updating product labeling requirements.

On October 10, 2026, the State Administration for Market Regulation publicly solicited comments on the “Draft Amendment to the Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China (Draft for Public Comment),” explicitly proposing to formally classify infant and young children complementary foods as special foods under regulatory oversight and implement strict filing requirements. This amendment addresses regulatory gaps in the oversight of infant and young children complementary foods, establishing a comprehensive safety management system covering all categories of infant and young children foods.

On October 10, 2026, China's SAMR published a draft amendment to the Food Safety Law, expanding it from 154 to 191 articles with public comments open until November 10. The major revisions enforce strict corporate accountability, introduce dedicated oversight for schools and e-commerce, mandate AI-driven remote surveillance, and establish severe personal penalties.

CIRS Group together with CIRS Japan will be exhibiting at the Hi Japan Expo (Booth No.: 2-398) from October 14 to 16, 2026. We cordially invite both new and long-term partners to join us for an exchange of ideas, and look forward to exploring collaborative opportunities together.