Weekly Trade Information-198

Two Core Segments of Health Supplements & Food Additives See Simultaneous Growth

Two major development lines in the health supplement and food additive sectors are booming in tandem. First, clean-label ingredients are widely replacing synthetic counterparts. Global leading manufacturers are speeding up launches of plant-based natural emulsifiers and rosemary-derived natural preservatives tailored for meal replacements and functional gummies.

Second, functional raw materials for metabolic management are experiencing explosive growth. Gut-support ingredients matching GLP-1 regimens, blood-sugar-regulating peptides and low-GI dietary fibers have become core R&D priorities, with postbiotics and fermented prebiotics recording demand growth above 15%.

Domestic group standards for clean labels are soon to be implemented, pushing manufacturers to phase out conventional chemical additives. Technological mainstream trends include AI-synthesized functional peptides and circular ingredients upcycled from fruit and vegetable byproducts, balancing health benefits, regulatory compliance and sustainability.

(Source: Industry News from Food Ingredients First)
 

Daily Intake Limit Lifted! This "Liquid Gold" Delivers Antioxidation and Blood Sugar-Lowering Benefits

On May 27, the National Health Commission of China issued an Announcement on 16 Categories of Three New Food Products Including Peony Seed Oil, which introduced major revisions to the specifications for peony seed oil as a novel food ingredient by officially scrapping the long-standing daily consumption cap of 10 grams.

This revision greatly broadens the application scenarios of peony seed oil and catapults it into the spotlight for China’s edible oil and functional food sectors. Rich in diverse fatty acids and a wide array of trace bioactive compounds, peony seed oil boasts multiple health benefits including antioxidant effects, blood sugar regulation, cardiovascular protection and neuroprotective properties.

(Source: Food Research & Application FTA)
 

The 27th Shanghai Healthy & Natural Ingredients Exhibition Held June 15–17

The 27th Shanghai Healthy & Natural Ingredients Exhibition took place from June 15 to 17, 2026, standing as the key industry event for domestic health supplements and food additives this week.

Numerous domestic enterprises showcased a wide range of clean-label ingredients at the show, including natural seaweed preservatives, compound postbiotic nutritional fortifiers and fermented natural colorants, which are formulated for gummies, meal replacements and oral supplements.

Insights released at the exhibition indicate that supporting detailed rules for the updated GB 2760 food additive standard will soon be released, with stricter regulatory specifications for biosynthetic food additives to be clarified. Production capacity of domestically made supplement raw materials such as Omega-3 fish oil and plant sterols keeps expanding.

Industry manufacturers are phasing out synthetic preservatives at an accelerated pace. Orders for plant-extracted functional additives rose 22% month-on-month. Microencapsulated sustained-release nutritional materials have become the mainstream R&D focus, and domestic functional ingredients are speeding up import substitution.

(Source: Exhibition Special, Shunqi Enterprise Network)
 

Freight Rates Surge Sharply on Europe-Asia and US West Coast Lanes

From June 12 to 18, 2026, seaborne exports of domestic functional raw materials faced heavy pressure, with freight rates jumping drastically on Europe-Asia and US West Coast routes this week.

Drewry figures show global container freight rates rose 23% week-on-week. Rates from Shanghai to Rotterdam and Los Angeles climbed 25% and 31% respectively. Carriers including Maersk and CMA CGM have imposed peak season surcharges.

A surge in export orders for Chinese vitamins, natural food additives and fish oil supplement raw materials has led to tight availability of reefer containers, forcing many manufacturers to book shipping space 2 to 3 weeks in advance. Persistent diversions around the Red Sea have extended vessel turnaround cycles, raising the risk of delays for temperature-sensitive goods such as herbal extracts and probiotics.

Some industry players have shifted cargo to China-Europe Railway Express to cut expenses, yet overall logistics costs for raw material exports have risen by 15% to 22% in the short term.

(Source: International Logistics Brief, FoodMate Network)
 

Latest Statements from Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd; Indian LNG Tanker Becomes First to Transit the Strait of Hormuz

Per ShippingAZ news, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated on the 15th local time that after intensive negotiations, the United States and Iran have reached a peace agreement. Both sides announced the immediate and permanent cessation of military operations across all fronts, including hostilities in Lebanon, with the official signing ceremony scheduled to take place in Switzerland on the 19th.

Iranian media reported on the 15th that the Supreme National Security Council of Iran issued a statement in the early hours of the same day, formally confirming the conclusion of a US-Iran ceasefire memorandum of understanding. Meanwhile, on the 14th local time, Trump remarked that the US-Iran deal was "now finalized" and authorized the US Navy to lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz with immediate effect.

(Source: Yi Shipping)