Three New Foods System

The “Three New Foods” system is the primary regulatory framework managed by China’s national-health-commission-nhc (NHC) for approving novel ingredients for use in conventional food and beverages.

The framework encompasses:

1. New food raw materials
2. New food additives
3. New food-related products (such as packaging materials)

Gateway for Functional Beverages

Because China operates on a strict positive-list-system, the Three New Foods directory is the primary gateway for getting novel adaptogens and functional botanicals approved for the mass market. If an ingredient is approved under this system, it can be used in both specialized health foods and general conventional foods, significantly broadening its market access.

In recent years, the NHC has accelerated approvals under this framework, authorizing ingredients like Yerba mate, Sakura polyphenol, and olive fruit polyphenols. During the review process, the NHC frequently references international safety benchmarks, such as fda GRAS status or approvals from the european-food-safety-authority-efsa.