China Approves New Food Ingredients, Additives and Products

China’s National Health Commission has approved new food ingredients, additives and products under Announcement No. 3 of 2025, which was officially implemented on May 7, 2025. The Announcement states that 11 newly approved food items in total had been approved, comprising two new food ingredients such as cherry blossom polyphenols, six food additives such as peroxidase, and three food-related products such as docosamide. This regulatory development may be of interest to international manufacturers entering or expanding in the Chinese food, supplements and health product markets, because expanded product categories and market opportunities are now open.

Overview of the Announcement: Approval of 11 "Three New Foods" Including Sakura Polyphenols

This announcement covers two new food raw materials, six new varieties of food additives, and three new varieties of food-related products. Among them, Sakura polyphenols and black wheat pollen have been approved as new food raw materials, marking official recognition of their food safety and nutritional value. Sakura polyphenols, with its unique antioxidant properties and potential applications in beauty and health, have attracted the attention of many food companies. Black wheat pollen, with its rich dietary fiber and nutritional content, is expected to shine in the health food sector.

New Food Raw Materials: Sakura Polyphenols and Black Wheat Pollen

Sakura Polyphenols: The "Health Messenger" from Japan to China
Sakura polyphenols are made from the flowers of Japanese cherry (Prunus serrulatus), a plant of the Rosaceae family, through a series of processes including ethanol extraction, filtration, concentration, drying, and grinding. This raw material has a certain history of consumption in Japan and is currently widely cultivated in North and South China. The main components of sakura polyphenols include proteins and polyphenols, with a total polyphenol content of ≥12g/100g, and also containing vitamins, crude polysaccharides and other nutritional components. The recommended daily intake is ≤350mg, however, due to insufficient safety data for infants, pregnant women, and nursing mothers, these groups should not consume it from a risk prevention perspective.The antioxidant properties of sakura polyphenols give it great potential in the health food sector. With increasing consumer demand for health foods, sakura polyphenols are expected to become a new favorite in the food industry. For international manufacturers, this means they can apply sakura polyphenols to the development of various health foods, such as functional beverages, nutritional supplements, etc., to meet consumers' dual pursuit of health and taste.
Black Wheat Pollen: Nutritious "Superfood"
The source plant of black wheat pollen is the Triticum aestivum, a plant of the Poaceae family, originally from Central Asia and the Mediterranean region, widely cultivated in Europe. It is made from the pollen of black wheat, through processes including drying and separation. The main components of black wheat pollen are carbohydrates (mainly dietary fiber), and also contain a variety of vitamins and amino acids and other nutritional components, with a recommended daily intake of ≤1.5g. The National Health Commission's Announcement No. 2023 has approved black wheat pollen as a new food raw material. Based on industry development needs and new data evidence, the original announcement's dietary fiber content requirement has been revised to ≥30g/100g and re-announced. Similarly, due to insufficient safety data for infants, pregnant women, and nursing mothers, these groups should not consume it from a risk prevention perspective, and those allergic to pollen should also avoid it.As a nutritious ingredient, black wheat pollen can be used in the production of various foods, such as baked goods, cereal breakfasts, etc. Its rich dietary fiber helps improve intestinal health, while a variety of vitamins and amino acids can provide comprehensive nutritional support to consumers. For international manufacturers, the approval of black wheat pollen provides them with new options for launching health foods in the Chinese market.

New Varieties of Food Additives: Aiding Food Industry Innovation

This announcement also includes six new varieties of food additives: peroxidase, xylanase, magnesium oxide, hydrogen peroxide, 2'-fucosyl lactose, and lactose-N-neotetraose. The approval of these new food additive varieties will provide strong support for the innovation and development of the food industry.
Taking peroxidase as an example, it is derived from Aspergillus niger, as a new variety of enzyme preparation for food industry, it is mainly used to catalyze the oxidation of reaction substrate, such as in the decolorization process of cheese whey. After safety assessment, it can be safely used in food production and processing according to the principle of using processing aids for food industry stipulated in the National Standard for Food Additives Use in Food Safety (GB 2760).
Food additives play an important role in the food industry, as they can not only improve the taste, color, and shelf life of food, but also enhance the nutritional value and safety of food. With the increasing consumer demand for food quality, the innovation and application of food additives have become increasingly important. The new varieties of food additives approved in this announcement will provide more options and innovation space for food companies, helping to promote high-quality development in the food industry.

New Varieties of Food-related Products: Expanding the Application of Food Contact Materials

This announcement also approves three new varieties of food-related products, such as azelaic diamide, 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid and 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol and 4,8-tricyclo[5.2.1.02,7]decanedimethanol polymers, 1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid with 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, phthalic anhydride, maleic anhydride, cis-butenedioic acid, 1,2-propanediol, 1,2-ethanediol and diglycerol polymers with styrene copolymers. The approval of these new varieties of food-related products will further expand the application range of food contact materials, providing more options for food packaging and processing.
Taking the copolymer of 1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid with 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, phthalic anhydride, maleic anhydride, cis-butenedioic acid, 1,2-propanediol, 1,2-ethanediol and diglycerol with styrene as an example, this substance has been approved as a new variety of food contact resin for use in unsaturated polyester (UP) plastic materials and products. The UP plastic materials and products made from this substance have good mechanical properties and acid resistance. After safety assessment, it can be safely used under conditions of not higher than 70℃, with an ethanol content in the food not exceeding 20% and a surface area to volume ratio (S/V) not exceeding 2dm²/kg when in contact with food. However, due to insufficient safety data for infants and young children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers, this type of material is restricted from a risk prevention perspective for the production of food contact materials and products for infants and young children.
Food-related products play a crucial role in the food production and consumption process, as they are in direct contact with food, hence their safety and reliability are of paramount importance. The approval of these new varieties of food-related products in this announcement will provide food companies with more high-quality and high-performance food contact material options, helping to enhance the overall level of food packaging and processing, ensuring food safety and quality.

Impact on International Manufacturers and Recommendations

In-depth Understanding of Regulatory Requirements: For international manufacturers already selling or planning to enter the Chinese market, the release of this announcement means they need to deeply understand the regulatory requirements for "three new foods" in China. China implements an administrative licensing system for "three new foods," meaning companies need to submit safety assessment materials to the State Council's health administration department and undergo a rigorous review process. Only products that meet food safety requirements can obtain approval and be sold in the Chinese market.
Seizing Market Opportunities: The "three new foods" approved in this announcement bring new opportunities for international manufacturers in the Chinese market. The approval of new food raw materials such as sakura polyphenols and black wheat pollen provides new raw material options for food companies to develop health foods. International manufacturers can use these new materials, combined with their own R&D capabilities and market experience, to develop health foods that meet the needs of Chinese consumers.
Meeting Challenges: Although the approval of "three new foods" brings opportunities for international manufacturers, it also comes with some challenges. First, companies need to ensure their products comply with China's food safety regulations, which may require additional safety assessments and testing. Second, for some new raw materials and new varieties, companies may need to invest more R&D resources to explore their best application in food.
Seeking Professional Consultation: Given the complexity of the regulations and technical requirements involved in "three new foods," international manufacturers are advised to seek professional consulting services when entering the Chinese market. Professional consulting firms can help companies interpret regulatory requirements, provide technical guidance, and assist companies in completing product registration and approval processes. Cisema, as a professional consulting firm, has extensive industry experience and professional knowledge to help international manufacturers conduct business smoothly in the Chinese market.

Further Information

To read the original announcements from the National Health Commission (2025) regarding the approval of sakura polyphenols, refer to the announcement on sakura polyphenols, and for black wheat pollen, refer to the announcement on black wheat pollen.

If you are a food manufacturer with questions about how long it takes or how much it costs to register your product for the China market, please contact Cisema.