CNHFA President Bian Zhenjia said that after five years of efforts, the FSMP as a blue ocean market has received widespread attention from various industries across the country, and major enterprises in the field of medicine and food have laid out their plans to enter the market. He added that medical workers are paying more attention to its important role in disease treatment.
According to statistics, the total output of FSMPs in 2019 was nearly RMB 6 billion, of which only about 20% was consumed by those above the age of one. Bian said there is a huge gap between actual consumption and demand. However, our R&D and technology level is still not advanced enough to produce original products. In addition, some key raw materials have to depend on imports due to the limitation of processing and production techniques.
Shi Hanping, Vice President of the CNHFA and Chairman of the CNHFA FSMPs Application Committee, mentioned that FSMPs have made significant contributions in improving nutrition, promoting recovery, shortening hospitalization and saving medical costs for patients internationally. However, it is still a new phenomenon in China and there is a lack of awareness of its existence among both clinicians and patients. Therefore, it is necessary to promote the standardisation and rational application of FSMPs.
During the event, the Clinical Initiative "Focusing on Nutrition through the Use of FSMPs" was launched and the key members of the FSMPs Industry Committee made the joint commitment of honoring "Science, Nutrition, and Safety".
Gu Xinxin, the rotating chairman of the CNHFA FSMPs Industry Committee, referred to the Initiative and suggested that emphasis should be placed on clinical nutrition by implementing clinical nutrition interventions and establishing a sound testing and intervention system in accordance with the treatment requirements of various diseases, especially with respect to tumours and special populations. He mentioned that we should optimise the clinical use of nutritional therapy and incorporate clinical nutritional therapy and FSMP knowledge into the training programme for dieticians. He added that we should fulfil social responsibility and popularise science and knowledge while regulating behaviours in trading venues to provide patients with a trusted means of purchase.
Yu Wei, Director of the Infant Formula Division, SAMR's Special Food Safety and Regulation Department, and Deng Shaowei, Director of the FSMPs Division, SAMR's Food evaluation Centre, delivered presentations and shared information and case studies on the current situation and challenges of FSMP regulation and registration respectively. Hu Bo, Director of the Food Safety Standards and Monitoring Division of the Hunan Provincial Health Commission, introduced the current situation and outlook of the use of FSMPs in the Hunan Province. Yang Xiaoguang, former Deputy Director of the China Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, shared his views on the current status and roadmap of FSMP standards. He Mei, Deputy Director of the Beijing Institute of Nutritional Sources, and Wang Jun, Chief Food Inspector of the Shandong Food and Drug Inspection Institute, also gave presentations on topics related to the nutrition standard system for FSMPs and the risks and quality control of FSMP testing. Representatives from Nestlé, Nutricia, FrieslandCampina, Mead Johnson, Mettler-Toledo and many other companies shared their insights on the clinical needs and technical testing of FSMPs.
