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Email: sales@wsk-sjz.com
Website:www.wsk-sjz.com
Address: No. 6, No.1 Road, Zanhuang County
Economic Development Zone Shijiazhuang,
Hebei 051230
1、 What ishealth foodLegal Definition and Core Attributes
According to the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Health Food, health food refers to food that claims to have specific health functions or supplement specific nutrients, is suitable for specific populations to consume, is not intended to treat diseases, and does not pose any acute, subacute, or chronic hazards to the human body.
Its core attributes can be summarized as "three specific":
Specific function: It is necessary to clearly claim the "health function" (such as enhancing immunity, assisting in lowering blood lipids, improving sleep, etc.), and this function must be approved or filed by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and scientifically verified (such as toxicology tests, functional tests);
Specific population: targeted at individuals with specific needs (such as middle-aged and elderly people, immunocompromised individuals, and those in need of calcium supplementation), rather than universal, and clearly labeled as "unsuitable population" (such as children, pregnant women);
Specific purpose: Used for "regulating body function and supplementing nutrition", not for treating diseases. The packaging must prominently label "This product cannot replace drugs".
At the same time, health food needs to meet the "food attributes" - the raw materials are mostly natural ingredients, nutrients, or medicinal and edible substances (such as goji berries, fish oil, vitamins), and the safety needs to reach long-term use without obvious side effects.
2、 The core differences between health food and regular food: 5 major differences from "demand" to "regulation"
Ordinary food is the basic food that meets daily dietary needs and provides nutrition (such as rice, milk, apples, cookies). Although the two belong to the "food category", the differences are significant:
Different core functions:
health foodIt will claim "specific health functions" (such as enhancing immunity, assisting in lowering blood sugar) or "supplementing specific nutrients" (such as calcium supplementation, vitamin supplementation), with the core purpose of regulating body functions;
Ordinary food only provides basic nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, etc.) to meet daily dietary needs and cannot claim any health benefits.
Suitable for different populations:
Health food is targeted at specific populations (such as "suitable for people with low immunity" and "suitable for middle-aged and elderly people"), and will clearly exclude unsuitable populations (such as children, pregnant women);
Ordinary food is available to everyone (unless there are special allergies or taboos), with no strict restrictions on "suitable/unsuitable people".
Identification and approval are different:
Health food products must be labeled with the * * "Blue Hat" special logo * *+national approval number (such as "National Food Health Letter G/J+Year Number+Sequence Number"), and must be approved or filed by NMPA for stricter supervision;
Ordinary food only needs to be labeled with the "Food Production License Number (SC Number)" and does not require approval from NMPA. It can be regulated according to the production standards of ordinary food.
Different ingredients and formulas:
The formula of health food is designed around "health functions" and may include high concentrations of nutrients (such as 100mg of coenzyme Q10 per tablet) or specific active ingredients (such as probiotics and lutein);
The ingredients of ordinary food are mainly natural ingredients, and the formula only needs to meet the mandatory requirement of "nutritional balance" without high concentration of active ingredients.
Different purposes of consumption:
Health food is used for "health regulation and nutritional supplementation", usually taken as needed (such as 1-2 times a day, 1 tablet each time), without the need for regular meals;
Ordinary food is used for daily satiety and energy supplementation, and should be consumed regularly (such as three meals a day) without strict requirements for fixed "dosage".
For example, when it comes to "milk", regular milk is only labeled with the "SC number" and promoted as "rich in protein and calcium"; And "health food milk" (such as "high calcium probiotic milk") needs to be labeled with a "blue hat" and approval number, claiming to "supplement calcium, regulate intestinal flora", and clearly stating that it is "suitable for adults who need calcium supplementation".
3、 The core difference between health food and medicine: 4 key differences from "purpose" to "safety"
Drugs are special substances that prevent, treat, and diagnose diseases (such as cold medicines, antihypertensive drugs, antibiotics), and the essential difference between the two lies in whether they can treat diseases:
Different core purposes:
Health food is not intended to treat diseases, but is only used to regulate body functions and supplement nutrition, and cannot alleviate or eliminate disease symptoms;
Drugs used for the treatment, prevention, or diagnosis of diseases must have clear indications for certain types of diseases (such as antihypertensive drugs for treating hypertension, cold drugs for relieving nasal congestion and fever).
The efficacy intensity varies:
The effects of health foods are mild and slow, and may only manifest after long-term use (usually 1-3 months), such as improving sleep and enhancing physical strength;
The effect of drugs is direct and rapid, usually taking effect several hours to several days after taking (such as fever reducing drugs cooling down within 30 minutes, painkillers relieving pain within 1 hour).
Safety and side effects differ:
The safety of health food is high, and long-term use has no significant side effects, with a low incidence of side effects (such as occasional gastrointestinal discomfort);
Medications may have clear side effects (such as drowsiness caused by cold medicine or gastrointestinal discomfort caused by antibiotics), and should be used under the guidance of a doctor to avoid health risks caused by long-term abuse.
Regulation and approval are different:
The regulation of health food according to the "health food standards" is based on "safety" and "functional authenticity", and does not require strict clinical trials;
Drugs are regulated according to "drug standards" and undergo strict clinical trials (phases I-IV) to verify their "effectiveness, safety, and quality controllability". The approval number is "National Medical Products Administration", and the process is more complex and the standards are more stringent.
Key Reminder:health foodCan't replace medicine - if the disease has been diagnosed (such as hypertension, diabetes), you should take medicine according to the doctor's advice. You should not stop taking medicine because of taking health food, otherwise it may delay the condition.
4、 Summary: Three sentences to distinguish the relationship between the three
Ordinary food is the "foundation": it meets the daily needs of eating and supplementing nutrition, and can be eaten by everyone without any health benefits;
Health food is a "supplement": targeted at specific populations, used to regulate the body and supplement nutrition, with the "blue hat" logo, cannot treat diseases;
Medications are "therapeutic": they have clear therapeutic effects and side effects on diseases, require medical guidance, and cannot be consumed as food or health supplements.
By using the three core points of "whether the function treats the disease", "whether there is a blue cap", and "whether the suitable population is specific", the three can be quickly distinguished - for example, if "vitamin C tablets" have a "blue cap", they are health food (supplementing vitamin C can claim to "enhance immunity"); If there is no "blue hat", it is a regular food (only supplements vitamin C, cannot claim health benefits); Vitamin C effervescent tablets (approved by the National Medical Products Administration) are drugs used to treat vitamin C deficiency.
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Email: sales@wsk-sjz.com
Address: No. 6, No.1 Road, Zanhuang County Economic Development Zone Shijiazhuang, Hebei 051230
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