Recently, the administration has clearly provided a transition period for products with registration certificates that are marked with “no validity period or product technical requirements”. According to statistics, as of the last product approval by the Ministry of Health announced on July 8, 2003, there were a total of 5,060 approved health food products, including 4,601 domestically produced and 459 imported ones, involving approximately 3,200 enterprises and 88 different health functions.
“Re-registration” implies that companies will need to invest in new testing expenses, typically around RMB 500,000 yuan (USD $70,000), to extend the life of their products. Furthermore, if there are significant changes in product functionality, companies may also face the cost of re-educating consumers. Based on past timelines for health food-related applications, this process is expected to take around 3-4 years, though it can be further shortened if the company has well-prepared documentation from the outset. (Source: shuzhengkangxun)
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