May 2023

IADSA Newsflash for May 2023

Latest news from the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplements Associations (IADSA)

IASC is an active member of IADSA, an association focused on the globalization of food supplement markets and regulatory challenges. IASC provides access to the IADSA Newsflash as a member benefit. The May 2023 issue covers the following:

• India has provided a website listing foreign food facilities that have registered under a regulation that became effective February 1, 2023, including facilities producing nutraceuticals.
• Hong Kong has listed cannabidiol (CBD) as a dangerous drug effective February 1, with penalties (imprisonment and fines) for trafficking, possession, and use.
• Korea is implementing a new registration scheme for foreign food facilities, with functional foods being the first category that will be subject to the new scheme.
• The European Commission (EC) has issued a statement to member states that no authorizations of CBD or other cannabinoid containing products have been made under European Union (EU) law, and of the states’ responsibility for enforcement of EU legislation.
• The EU has adopted a Directive on green claims to target “greenwashing” and the proliferation of environmental labels.
• The EU has issued clarification on the analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) allowing for correction based on recovery and expanded measurement uncertainty. This clarification relates to batch release criteria for compliance with the EU PAs regulation.
• The EU Court of Justice has issued a ruling intended to clarify the differentiation between food supplements and foods for special medical purposes.
• France has published a list of plants under scrutiny for the presence of hydroxyanthracene derivative (HADs) – this list appears to be more expansive than the list included in the EU HADs regulation. Products made from the botanicals in question must include certain cautionary warnings on their labels.
• EU CITES regulation has been updated to include Rhodiola spp., which is now listed in CITES Appendix II.
• The EU plans to increase identity and physical checks on certain consignments of botanicals that have been found to be non-compliant with pesticide residue rules, including ethylene oxide.
• Finland is considering a ban on ashwagandha, based on a ban already instituted in Denmark.
• New Zealand and South Africa have both made progress on developing new regulatory frameworks for supplement products.
• Brazil is working to update its novel food authorization processes, including the safety assessment.

IASC members can access the full content of the Newsflash here.