Ministry of Health's Office of Open Governmental Administration on the issues concerning general foods, health foods, and new resources and food materials. Recently, I have received a number of applications for open government information to ask whether certain items can be used as food ingredients. In order to facilitate the public to understand relevant policies and regulations and increase the transparency of food hygiene work, the relevant issues of ordinary foods, health foods and new resources and food ingredients are described as follows:

First, the definition and management of ordinary food, new resources, food raw materials 1. In 2007, the Ministry of Health issued the "New Resources Food Management Regulations" (Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China Order No. 56), which stipulates that new resource foods include: (1) animals, plants, and microorganisms that have no food habits in China; (2) from Food raw materials without food habits isolated in animals, plants, and microorganisms; (3) New microbial species used in food processing; (D) Food raw materials that have been changed due to the adoption of new processes. .

An article that belongs to one of the above circumstances, if it needs to be developed for the production and operation of ordinary food, it shall apply for approval in accordance with the provisions of the “Administrative Measures on New Resources Food”.

2. The Ministry of Information of the People's Republic of China issued the Notice on Further Regulating the Management of Raw Materials for Health Foods (Weifa Jianfa [2002] No. 51) in 2002. The items in the list can be used for the production of ordinary foods. In 2010, the list of strains that can be used for food was issued (Guardian Supervision and Development [2010] No. 65). The strains in the list can be used to produce ordinary foods.

3. In 1998, the Ministry of Health issued the Circular on the Work Arrangement for the National Health Food Market Reorganization in 1998 (Wei Jian Fa Fa [1998] No. 9). The new resource food canola pollen, corn pollen, pine pollen, sunflower pollen, purple Yunying pollen, buckwheat pollen, sesame pollen, sorghum pollen, konjac, Spirulina platensis, Spirulina maxima, Rosa roxburghii, roselle, cocoon are listed as general food management.

4. The list of new resources and food materials that have been approved for use can be found on the “New Resources Food Directory” section of the Ministry of Health website.

II. Definition and management of raw materials for ordinary foods and health foods 1. The "Notice on Further Regulating the Management of Raw Materials for Health Foods" has published the "list of articles that can be used for health foods" and the "list of prohibited foods for health foods." Please refer to this notice for the specific management regulations for raw materials for health foods.

2. In 2007 and 2009, our ministry respectively issued the “Approval for the Use of Articles such as “Huang Biao” and Other Materials that May Not Be Used as Common Food Raw Materials” (Wei Sheng Jian Fa [2007] No. 274) and “Approval for Raw Materials in General Food” ( No. 326 of the Health Supervision Letter (2009), which stipulates that the items listed in the “List of Items Usable for Health Food” published by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2002 shall be used only for health food products. Except for items that have been published for use in ordinary foods, the items in the “List of Items Usable for Health Food” shall not be used as ordinary food raw materials. If it is necessary to develop the items listed in the "List of Items Usable for Health Food" for ordinary food production, it shall be submitted for approval in accordance with the procedures stipulated in the "Administrative Measures on New Resources and Foods." Those who use items listed in the “List of Articles that Can be Used for Health Food” in violation of regulations shall be punished in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Food Safety Law and its implementation regulations.

3. According to the “Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Printing and Distributing the Provisions on the Internal Responsibilities of the State Food and Drug Administration, and the Provisions for the Establishment of Internal Organizations and Staff” (Guobanfa [2008] No. 100), the supervision and administration of health foods shall be provided by the State Food and Drug Administration. Be responsible for. For questions concerning the production and management of health food, please consult the State Food and Drug Administration. (Public Administration Office of the Ministry of Health released on November 9, 2010)