Accelerated development of functional food ingredients

In recent years, the implementation of the Healthy China strategy and the upgrading of food consumption awareness have demonstrated both the strength of China's national policy to support the development of a large health industry and the importance consumers attach to the efficacy of ingredients and nutrition in their diets. At the same time, new functional food ingredients inject more momentum into the development of this market.

According to the relevant requirements of the Food Safety Law, new food ingredients are required to undergo safety assessment by the State Health and Welfare Commission before they can be marketed and approved before they can be used in food. In recent years, new functional ingredients have been continuously developed and applied.

For example, sodium hyaluronate, a typical representative of 2021. Studies have shown that hyaluronic acid (hyaluronic acid) is effective in promoting repair, lubricating joints, improving skin, and protecting the health of the gastrointestinal tract, and is easily absorbed orally. Sodium hyaluronate is its sodium salt form, through which the ionic form can improve the water solubility of hyaluronic acid and facilitate its application in food. As early as 2008, sodium hyaluronate was approved as a new resource food, but the scope of use was limited to health food ingredients. In January last year, the Chinese Health and Welfare Commission issued the "Three New Foods" announcement, and the use of sodium hyaluronate was expanded to include beverages, confectionery and other general foods. Since then, its application prospects have expanded significantly, and a number of products containing sodium hyaluronate have been developed and listed. The topic of "how to eat hyaluronic acid for beauty" is among the top nine food safety and health hotspots that cannot be missed in 2021.

Looking ahead to 2022, functional food ingredients will continue to be a hot topic among new food ingredients in China.

Up to now, functional food ingredients have been included in the approval and public consultation announcements related to new food ingredients issued by the China Health and Welfare Commission and the National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment.

The new food ingredients approved (No. 1 in 2022) pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) disodium salt is a new redox enzyme cofactor, naturally occurring in microorganisms, plants and human organs and tissues, and a variety of foods contain traces of PQQ. It is mainly used in antioxidant, nerve cell protection and promotion of brain and cardiovascular health. Sugarcane polyphenols are extracted from sugarcane, and the main characteristic component is total polyphenols, which have strong antioxidant activity and can reduce the level of glycemic index of food or beverage. Countries and regions such as China, Taiwan, the United States, the European Union, Australia and New Zealand have approved the basis for consumption.

Functional food ingredients in the declaration, need to pay attention to the edible and nutritional properties of raw materials, from multiple perspectives to carry out the safety and nutritional description, while in terms of efficacy should not be overemphasized. Such as the following points to reflect the safety: First, their own characteristics, clearly declare the basic structure of the substance, physical and chemical properties, production of raw materials, etc., to collect the substance safety research data or clinical trial data (including public data). Second, the domestic and foreign consumption and use, including the substance in the relevant domestic and foreign regulations approved for use, the sale of the substance and examples of commercially available packaged products containing the substance, the consumption history of supporting documents, historical records and other book information. Third, the necessary test reports, including a full analysis of the main components and may contain natural harmful substances, such as contaminants, microorganisms, physical and chemical aspects of hygiene test reports and complete toxicological evaluation report. Fourth, the safety assessment, the report is also submitted to the declaration of new food ingredients must be one of the materials, need to be qualified by our risk assessment of technical institutions based on the information provided by the enterprise, the declared substances to put forward a scientific and comprehensive analysis and assessment of the report.

In addition to the above, the quality of raw materials specifications, effective component testing methods, stable and safe production processes, etc. should also be in the application of new food ingredients need to have scientific research and description.

In recent years, more and more functional ingredients in China's new food ingredients to declare the success. There is an intention to declare the need for enterprises to prepare adequate research and development and safety assessment and other dossiers to avoid less "detours", shorten the reporting cycle of new food ingredients, to speed up the promotion of product development and application in the market.