Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) released the "Directory of Health Functions that Health Food Can Claim: Maintaining Bone and Joint Health (Relieving Pain or Stiffness/Relieving Cartilage Damage)". This is the first new health function to be included in the health function directory since the release of the "Measures for the Administration of the Directory of Health Food Ingredients and Health Functions" and the "Interim Detailed Rules for the Technical Evaluation of New Health Functions and Products of Health Food", marking a new step in the market access of health food products with new health claims in China and a new achievement in the deepening of the registration and filing system reform of health food by the SAMR.
With the continuous development of the aging population trend in China and the increasing awareness of public fitness, consumers are paying more and more attention to preventing the risk of bone and joint damage, and the demand for health food products that maintain and improve bone and joint health is growing. The SAMR stated that with the aim of meeting consumers' health needs, the release of the new health function of health food for maintaining bone and joint health will help enterprises develop new health food products with this function, improve the health status of people with bone and joint disorders, reduce the risk factors of bone and joint diseases, and is of great significance for meeting the people's growing needs for a better life, promoting the innovative development of the industry, and advancing the construction of a Healthy China.
This time, the SAMR simultaneously released the technical requirements for the evaluation and testing of health food products with the health function of "maintaining bone and joint health", including the testing items, principles, and result determination. It organized authoritative technical institutions and experts in China to fully refer to the technical evaluation methods of similar products in developed countries such as Europe and the United States, combined with the latest research results in the field of bone and joint health, to form a scientific consensus on the inspection and evaluation of health food products with the health function of "maintaining bone and joint health" in China. It clearly defined the testing and evaluation principles, item requirements, and judgment standards, strictly controlled the quality of tests and data traceability management, to ensure the safety and functionality of products that pass the inspection and evaluation and are approved for registration, and protect the health of consumers.
