Global Food Regulation Highlights | July 2025

To help stakeholders in food sector navigate the constantly evolving regulatory landscape, ChemLinked offers Global Food Regulation Highlights, a concise monthly report that focuses on key regulatory developments worldwide. Find out what's new on food regulation worldwide in July 2025 below.

China

On July 8, 2025, China Association of Fragrance Flavour and Cosmetic Industries (CAFFCI) released Draft Amendment Sheet No. 1 to the GB 2760-2024 Standard for the Use of Food Additives. The adjustment reflects a dynamic update to the approved flavoring list. Feedback can be submitted before July 25, 2025. (Read More)

• China Approved Nine New Food Additives and Consulted on Ten New Food Additives

• NHC Approves Five New FCM Additives and One New FCM Resin

• China Consults on Seven Food Raw Materials

• China CFSA Solicits Comments on Draft Amendments to GB 9685

• China Unveils 2025 National Food Safety Standard Legislative Plan, Involving Food Claims, Food Additives, and FCM

• China Customs Rejected 485 Batches of Imported Food in June of 2025

• China Issues New Guidelines for the Registration of FSMP Liquid Formula and Thickening Component Formula

Regulation highlights in other areas of China:

• Hong Kong Gazettes Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) (Amendment) Regulation 2025

• Taiwan Approves Knee Joint Care as New Health Food Effect

South Korea

On July 22, 2025, South Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced full revision draft of the Food Additive Code, which aims to revamp the food additive classification framework and ease the use restrictions for certain substances. In this draft, food additives are categorized into general food additives, processing aids, nutrient fortifiers, mixed preparations, and disinfectants for utensils. Use restrictions for certain substances are proposed to be relaxed to address industry challenges and meet market demand. Moreover, specifications for enzyme preparations are proposed to be updated in line with international standards. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in South Korea:

• South Korea to Update Health Functional Food Code

• South Korea to Revise Regulation on Declaration and Inspection of Imported Food

• [Updated] South Korea Designates Prohibited Ingredients in Foods

• South Korea Proposes Amendments to Food Code, Setting and Revising MRLs for 114 Pesticides and 6 Veterinary Drugs

• South Korea Issues Guidelines on Safety Evaluation and Document Preparation for Temporary Recognition of New Food Ingredients

• South Korea Issues Guidelines on Determining Natural Occurrence of Food Additives

Japan

On July 24, 2025, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) officially released the Design Certification Standards for PET Bottles Used for Beverages. The standards set out eco-design requirements for each component of beverage containers, including bottles, labels, and caps.

Japan’s design certification system enables competent ministers to certify products with outstanding environmental design. To obtain certification, enterprises must undergo a comprehensive evaluation, disclose relevant information, and meet the published standard. Certified products will be promoted under Japan’s Green Purchasing Law and may receive support for recycling infrastructure. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in Japan:

• MAFF Updates the Standards for Miso and Glucose

• Japan MHLW Seeks Comments on Draft Amendment to Facilitate Electronic Import Notifications for Repeated Food Imports

• Japan Seeks Comments on Draft JAS Enforcement Ordinance Amendment

Southeast Asia

On July 19, 2025, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health (MOH) released a comprehensive draft amendment to the 2010 Law on Food Safety for public consultation. The proposed changes signal a major shift from the current system to a more centralized and risk-based management framework, introducing new requirements for product registration, enterprise responsibility, e-commerce, advertising, etc. For example, Supplemented food is now classified as high-risk and requires Circulation Registration. Both self-declaration and circulation registration will have a 5-year validity period, ending the current perpetual declarations. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in Southeast Asia:

• Indonesia Releases New Technical Guidelines for MSE Halal Certification via Self-Declaration

• Indonesia Updates Assessment Guidelines for Probiotic Health Supplements

• Indonesia Overhauls Food Recall System with Updated Regulatory Framework

• Philippines Adopts Codex Guidelines for Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) as Technical Regulation

• Philippines Adopts Revised Codex Standard for Follow-Up Formula for Older Infants and Young Children Products (CXS 156-1987) as Technical Regulation

• Thailand FDA Introduces Voluntary Digital Labeling Option for Bottled Water Products

• Thailand Consults on Agricultural Product Standard for Fish Sauce

• Vietnam Proposes New Decree on Halal Product Management

• WTO Notification: Amendment to the Twelfth A Schedule of the Malaysia’s Food Regulations 1985 (Read more at MOH‘s previous draft)

• Malaysia Revises Drug Registration Guidance Document (DRGD) Third Edition, Tenth Revision July 2025

India

On July 18, 2025, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) notified the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) First Amendment Regulations, 2025, introducing revisions regarding oils, food colors, meat sausages, packaged drinking water, food additives and processing aids. The amendment will take effect on February 1, 2026. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in India:

• FSSAI Imposes Stringent Food Safety Mandates on E-commerce Platforms Across India

• FSSAI Unveils Ayurveda Aahara Covered under the Food Safety and Standards (Ayurveda Aahara) Regulations, 2022

European Union (EU)

In July 2025, the EU Issues eight regulations regarding novel foods, affecting the following substances:

- Roasted seeds of Dipteryx alata Vogel (baru) (traditional food from a third country)

- Phytosterols/phytostanols;

- Calanus finmarchicus oil;

- Schizochytrium limacinum (ATCC-20889) oil;

- 3-Fucosyllactose (3-FL) produced by a derivative strain of Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3);

- Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil;

- Potassium magnesium trichloride hexahydrate;

- 3-Fucosyllactose produced by a derivative strain of Escherichia coli K-12 DH1;

- Schizochytrium sp. oil rich in DHA and EPA.

(Read More)

More regulation highlights in EU:

• EU to Update the Methods for Sampling and Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Food

• EU Issues Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/1305 Amending Annexes II, III and IV to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 as Regards Maximum Residue Levels of Certain Pesticides in or on Certain Products: Amidosulfuron, Azoxystrobin, Hexythiazox, Isoxaben, Picloram, Propamocarb, Sodium Silver Thiosulfate and Tefluthrin

• Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/1212 Amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 as Regards Maximum Residue Levels for Acetamiprid in or on Certain Products

• WTO Notification: Draft Commission Delegated Regulation Amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127 as Regards the Protein-related Requirements for Infant and Follow-on Formula Manufactured from Protein Hydrolysats

• Draft Commission Delegated Regulation Amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/1698 as Regards Certain Criteria for the Establishment of the List of High-risk Third Countries and High-risk Products

• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1560 Authorising a Health Claim Made on Green Kiwifruit

United States (US)

On July 14, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of gardenia (genipin) blue as a safe color additive. This new additive is derived from the fruit of the gardenia and is permitted for use in a variety of foods and beverages, including sports drinks, flavored non-carbonated water, fruit drinks, ready-to-drink teas, and both hard and soft candies. The approval, which becomes effective on August 29, 2025, allows manufacturers to use the additive at levels consistent with good manufacturing practices. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in US:

• FDA Extends Comment Period for Proposed Method for Ranking Chemicals in Food for Post-market Assessments

• FDA to Revoke 52 Obsolete Standards of Identity for Food Products

• US Seeks Public Input for Ultra-Processed Food Definition

• FDA Releases New Tool for Toxicity Screening of Chemicals in Food

Canada

On July 25, 2025, Health Canada issued P-SIS-25-02, proposing to modify the List of Permitted Supplemental Ingredients. This proposed modification aims to permit 30% juice in certain caffeinated beverages. Stakeholders can send their comments to [email protected] by October 8, 2025. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in Canada:

• Canada Proposes MRLs for Six Pesticides in Agricultural Products (MRLs for Cyantraniliprole, Fenazaquin, Chlorantraniliprole, Pyriofenone, Dimethenamid, and Trinexapac-ethyl)

Australia and New Zealand

On July 22, 2025, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) issued Amendment No. 240 to amend to the Food Standards Code. The amendments include two nutritive substances, two processing aids, one GM food and Australian only Infant Formula Product Standard, which commence on the date of gazettal. (Read More)

More regulation highlights in Australia and New Zealand:

• FSANZ Approves Chitosan and (1,3)-beta-glucans from White Button Mushrooms (Agaricus Bisporus) as a Food Additive

• FSANZ Consults on Aminopeptidase from GM Trichoderma Reesei and Phospholipase C from GM Bacillus Licheniformis as Processing Aids, and Food Derived from Purple Tomato Lines Containing Event Del/Ros1-N

• FSANZ Made Changes to the BICON Commodity Case Dairy and Alcoholic Beverages

Recommended reading:

• Hot topic: Global Food Regulation Highlights, 2020-2025

• Global Food Regulation Highlights | January 2025

• Global Food Regulation Highlights | February 2025

• Global Food Regulation Highlights | March 2025

• Global Food Regulation Highlights | April 2025

• Global Food Regulation Highlights | May 2025

• Global Food Regulation Highlights | June 2025