Weekly Trade Information-190

Alginate Oligosaccharides Officially Launched

This week, the food additive industry has witnessed a breakthrough in ingredient innovation.

Alginate oligosaccharides, approved as a new food ingredient by the National Health Commission in February, have officially come into application. A Qingdao-based enterprise was recently granted China’s first food production license for alginate oligosaccharides.

This marks the first time this marine functional oligosaccharide — which offers prebiotic effects and helps regulate intestinal function — can be legally mass-produced and used as a common food ingredient.

In the health supplement sector at the same time, brain health has emerged as a new competitive focus. At the Consumer Expo, Sinopharm Health launched new products such as the GPCPS Bright Mind Bottle targeting people with intensive mental workload, featuring an optimal ratio of alpha-GPC and phosphatidylserine. Dongfang Zhenxuan (Eastern Selection) released a range of self-branded health foods with "Blue Hat" certification, including coenzyme Q10 and DHA algal oil.

(Source: Economic Net)
 

Gut Health Market Expands, Food Ingredients Accelerate Toward Clean Label

Market research shows the global gut health supplement market is projected to reach $16 billion by 2026.Probiotics remain dominant, accounting for nearly 60%, while synbiotics and similar blends are growing rapidly. Rising consumer focus on preventive health is driving demand for digestive enzymes and products targeting the gut-brain axis.

Meanwhile, the food additive industry is undergoing a clean label revolution. Demand for natural, simple ingredient lists is pushing manufacturers to replace synthetic additives with natural colorants such as curcumin, and to develop more functional ingredients with health-promoting benefits.

(Source: Chain Drug Review, Persistence Market Research)

Exploring the Scope of Dietary Supplement Ingredients

This week, the U.S. FDA signaled major regulatory reforms for health supplements.

On March 27, the FDA held a public meeting titled “Exploring the Scope of Dietary Supplement Ingredients”.The core discussion centered on whether ingredients produced through emerging technologies — including precision fermentation, cell culture, and recombinant techniques — should be classified as dietary supplements.
Industry representatives argued that production methods should not serve as regulatory barriers,and that classification should be based on ingredient function rather than source.Consumer advocates, however, expressed concern that this would blur the line between supplements and pharmaceuticals.

This marked the first supplement regulatory meeting convened since RFK Jr. took office as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The FDA has opened a public comment period (deadline April 17),a move expected to significantly expand the range of novel ingredients eligible for market launch.

(Source: Official website of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
 

Low-Price Folic Acid Inventories Being Depleted, Market Remains Strong

This month, major folic acid manufacturers have suspended quotations or raised prices, while low-cost inventories in the market continue to be drawn down.
Low-priced stock from leading brands is scarce, and transaction prices are gradually rising. Amid rising raw material costs, second-tier brands have implemented modest price increases, keeping the market in a strong posture with a wide range of export quotations.

(Source: Weigao Daily)
 

Soaring Freight Rates! Middle East Shipping Costs Set to Top $10,000

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have escalated again following the breakdown of the first round of U.S.-Iran negotiations.

Leading freight forwarders note that for routes using ports outside the strait followed by overland transport into Persian Gulf countries, ocean freight for a 40-foot high cube container has broken through the $8,000 mark this week.
Currently, freight rates to major Persian Gulf ports have surged to more than four times pre-conflict levels (before February 28),with overland transit estimated to take 3–10 days.

According to Maersk’s official schedule, the shipping time from Shanghai Port to Jebel Ali Port is now 32 days and 10 hours.

As the Strait of Hormuz closure enters its sixth week, the impact on global shipping extends far beyond skyrocketing ocean freight. Marine insurance premiums, freight costs and time-related expenses have all surged amid heightened war risks.

(Source: Waisi Talks Shipping)