To demonstrate the achievements of industrial development, promote and implement new laws and regulations, advocate industrial self-discipline and standards, facilitate reasonable cognition and consumption by consumers, and enhance sound and high-quality development of the industry, 2019 (3rd) China Health Food Conference was held by China Nutritional and Health Food Association (hereinafter referred to as “CNHFA”) on October 17. Bian Zhenjia, President of CNHFA, Lei Yulan, former Deputy Governor of Guangdong Provincial Government, Zhang Jinjing, Special Inspector of Special Food Safety Supervision Department of State Administration for Market Regulation, and Fu Tiebi, Director of Food Safety of Guangdong Market Supervision and Administration Bureau, attended the conference and delivered speeches. Nearly 700 representatives from domestic and foreign industry organizations, as well as the industry, universities and research institutions attended the conference.

       Bian Zhenjia, President of CNHFA, noted that the year 2019 is extraordinary for China’s health food industry, and daunting challenges will arise. Bian Zhenjia believes that for the health food industry, the most significant part of the “100-Day Campaign” is that government departments have cracked down on violations of laws and regulations with a tough stance, removed and warned of the long-standing fluke mind in the industry, propelled illegal and substandard medium and small health food manufacturers to withdraw from the market, and the “health care products” pretending to be health food would have nowhere to hide. Undoubtedly, excellent companies featuring integrity, self-discipline and standard management will stand out. The vast majority of health foods take the regulation as an opportunity to “revolutionize” themselves by making strenuous efforts on improving quality, management, science and standard, which would definitely prove to be conducive to the sustained and sound development of the industry, and facilitate the establishment of a new order for the development of China’s health food industry.

       Bian Zhenjia stated that China’s health food industry is still undergoing a period of time that presents opportunities for its historical development. Comprehensive health policies such as Healthy China, rising per capita income and increasingly aging population led to growing demand for nutritional and health food by the whole society. China’s health food is becoming more popular among young consumers, and the growth of vitamins, dietary nutritional supplements, and other sub-categories of health food is expected to pick up pace. Health foods are basically marketed by direct selling, while e-commerce also witnessed remarkable growth. Going forward, stricter regulation of the health food market will promote the survival of the fittest in the industry. In such a circumstance, outstanding enterprises will have more and better room for development, and China’s health food will be more global.

       Bian Zhenjia stressed: China’s nutritional and health food industry must be committed to developing our own brand, boosting the industry’s scientific and technological innovation, product support and service capabilities, and building up industry strength so as to continuously upgrade the industry. Science must serve as an unshakable guide to industrial development. Moreover, we must stay true to a path that pursues high-quality development, and constantly improve our core technology and competitiveness as this is the only option for the industry’s sound development.

       Zhang Jinjing indicated: The State Administration for Market Regulation focused their efforts on pushing forward the dual-track reform of the registration and record of health food, and transformed from a single registration system to the smooth operation of a dual-track registration and record system; formulated and introduced Guidelines on Marking Warnings on Health Food, demanding clear warnings for more transparent consumption by the general public; launched a special campaign to crack down on the violations of laws and regulations in the health food industry; organized nationwide publicity campaign to introduce health food into communities, countryside, network, campuses, and supermarkets in a bid to raise consumers’ awareness in rational consumption and self-protection.

       At the conference, directors from the Special Food Safety Supervision Department of State Administration for Market Regulation publicized and interpreted the newly issued Regulations on the Lists of the Raw Materials of Health Food and Health Function. CNHFA explained Guidelines on Marking Warnings on Health Food, and released the Regulations on Exercising Self-discipline in Promotions at Health Food Conferences. Experts and professors from Center for Health Food evaluation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, School of Public Health, Peking University, China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China Chamber of Commerce of Medicines & Health Products importers and Exporters, Netherlands National Institute of Applied Sciences, etc. delivered keynote speeches. Directors from China’s leading enterprises in health food exchanged ideas and experience on topics such as technological R&D and the exploration of new functions for China’s health food.