CCM: CDFA focuses on regulation of healthcare product market 05-19-2016

In March 2016, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) issued the Notice on Sampling Inspection to Selected Food Enterprises 2016, including 40 healthcare food producers. Altogether 1,452 food producers were on the list, including well-known enterprises, like COFCO Corporation, Inner Mongolia Mengniu Dairy (Group) Co., Ltd. and Shuanghui Group.


Source: Baidu


In particular, 40 healthcare food producers were among them, including Beijing Tong Ren Tang Group Co., Ltd., Harbin Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Jiaoda Onlly Co., Ltd.


This aroused great attention from domestic healthcare food producers, who considered it a sign for stricter government regulation on this industry.


“It was the first time to publicize the list of healthcare food producers for sampling inspection,” said Jia Yaguang, vice president of the China Health Care Association.


The market size of healthcare products has expended to USD69.68 billion (RMB450 billion) in 2015. With further development, issues, like crooked promotion and quality safety, have also emerged.


"What matters most is that current healthcare products focus more on advertising and marketing," disclosed Zhu Yi, associate professor in the Academics of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University.


There is a large gap between advertising and the actual products. Illegal advertising and exaggerated promotion has become an "outspoken rule" in the healthcare product market.




What's worse, illegal additives have been found in the healthcare foods, like the hormones in diet food and the medicines to regulate blood glucose in the corresponding healthcare products. These illegal additives are likely to do great harm to the users.


"This list demonstrates the CDFA’s determination to rectify," continued Zhu Yi. In the latest version of Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China, administrative review and file record for food enterprises are required to be done at the same time, which lowers the standards for production approval.


This sampling inspection to the 40 healthcare food producers showed the CDFA’s stricter supervision on healthcare products with production approval numbers. CDFA expected this inspection can serve as a deterrent to other healthcare product producers.

 

So far, there have been over 2,500 producers in China's healthcare product market, with 15,000+ production approval numbers and 5,000+ brands.


On the whole, there are three vital issues to be solved:
1. Crooked or exaggerated promotion on the product effect
2. Fraud in marketing
3. Over-priced to cheat the senior customers out of their money


According to China Customers Association, complaint cases on healthcare products reached 2,389 in 2015. For instance, in Beijing, complaints on healthcare products topped the list of food industry, 26.09% of the industrial total.


"Healthcare product industry concerns the public health," said some insiders, "Related departments should cooperate to set up the supervision system and improve the market access and withdrawal regulations.


Moreover, the publicity departments should strengthen regulation on advertising, especially the ones about healthcare products. Those healthcare food agencies involved in crooked promotion and violation of laws should be investigated and handled."


This article comes from Vitamins China E-News 1604, CCM

 

 


About CCM:

CCM is the leading market intelligence provider for China’s agriculture, chemicals, food & ingredients and life science markets. Founded in 2001, CCM offers a range of data and content solutions, from price and trade data to industry newsletters and customized market research reports. Our clients include Monsanto, DuPont, Shell, Bayer, and Syngenta. CCM is a brand of Kcomber Inc.

 

For more information about CCM, please visit www.cnchemicals.com or get in touch with us directly by emailing econtact@cnchemicals.com or calling +86-20-37616606.

 

Tag: healthcare  food

 

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