Thanks as usual to my guest writer KUN HOU (kunhou2016@gmail.com) for the valuable insights of China. This comparative article will be most useful to many readers.
Regulations concerning the nutrients used as ingredients of food supplements are under constant change and revision in China.
CFDA put forward its first official positive list of vitamins and minerals that might be present in food supplements in the beginning of 2016.
The list has not come into force yet and it is slightly different from the current rules which were brought into effect in 2005 by then SFDA.
Before the list is legally introduced, let’s look at first how the rules for vitamins and minerals differ between China and EU presently. It will help international food supplements manufacturers gain a clearer clue on Chinese regulation and avoid pitfalls when exporting vitamin and minerals supplements to China.
Vitamins and Minerals in General
| Name | CN | EU | |
| Minerals | Ca | Calcium | |
| Mg | Magnesium | ||
| K | Potassium | ||
| Fe | Iron | ||
| Zn | Zinc | ||
| Se | Selenium | ||
| Cr3+ | Chromium | ||
| Cu | Copper | ||
| Mn | Mangnese | ||
| Mo | Molybdenum | ||
| Lodine | |||
| Sodium | |||
| Fluoride | |||
| Chloride | |||
| Phosphorus | |||
| Vitamins | Retinol Equivalent(Vitamin A or Vitamin A+b-Carotene) | Vitamin A | |
| Vitamin C | Vitamin C | ||
| Vitamin D | Vitamin D | ||
| Vitamin E | Vitamin E | ||
| Vitamin k | Vitamin k | ||
| Vitamin B1 | Vitamin B1 | ||
| Vitamin B2 | Vitamin B2 | ||
| Vitamin PP | Niacin | Niacin | |
| Niacinamide | |||
| Vitamin B6 | Vitamin B6 | ||
| Vitamin B12 | Vitamin B12 | ||
| Folic acid | Folic acid | ||
| Pantothenic acid | Pantothenic acid | ||
| Biotin | Biotin | ||
| b-Carotene | |||
| Choline | |||
Mineral Substances
| Name | CN | EU |
| Ca | Calcium carbonate | Calcium carbonate |
| Calcium chloride | Calcium chloride | |
| Calcium gluconate | Calcium gluconate | |
| Calcium lactate | Calcium lactate | |
| Calcium glycerol phosphate | Calcium glycerophosphate | |
| Calcium malata | ||
| Calcium monophosphate (Calcium phosphate,Secondary) |
||
| Calcium phosphate,monobasic (Calcium phosphate,Primary) |
||
| Calcium phosphates | ||
| Calcium sulfate | ||
| Calcium—L—ascorbate | ||
| Calcium acetate | ||
| Calcium caseinate | ||
| Calcium citrate | ||
| Calcium citrate malate | ||
| Calcium salts of citric acid | ||
| Calcium salts of orthophosphoric acid | ||
| Calcium hydroxide | ||
| Calcium oxide |
| Name | CN | EU |
| Mg | Magnesium carbonate | Magnesium carbonate |
| Magnesium chloride | Magnesium chloride | |
| Magnesium gluconate | Magnesium gluconate | |
| Magnesium lactate | Magnesium lactate | |
| Magnesium glycerol phosphate | Magnesium glycerophosphate | |
| Magnesium citrate | ||
| Magnesium phosphate,dibasic | ||
| Magnesium phosphates | ||
| Magnesium acetate | ||
| Magnesium salts of citric acid | ||
| Magnesium salts of orthophosphoric acid | ||
| Magnesium hydroxide | ||
| Magnesium oxide | ||
| Magnesium sulphate |
| Name | CN | EU |
| Fe | Ferric carbonate | Ferrous carbonate |
| Ferrous citrate | Ferrous citrate | |
| Ferrous fumarate | Ferrous fumarate | |
| Ferrous gluconate | Ferrous gluconate | |
| Ferrous sulfate | Ferrous sulphate | |
| Ferrous lactate | Ferrous lactate | |
| Ferric pyrophosphate | Ferric diphosphate (ferric pyrophosphate) | |
| Ferric ammonium citrate | ||
| Ferric chloride | ||
| Ferric citrate | ||
| Heme iron(Ferrous porphyrin) | ||
| Hemin (ferriheme) | ||
| Ferrous succinate | ||
| Ferric ammonium citrate | ||
| Ferric sodium diphosphate | ||
| Ferric saccharate | ||
| Elemental iron (carbonyl+electrolytic+hydrogen reduced) |
| Name | CN | EU |
| Copper | Copper carbonate | Cupric carbonate |
| Copper citrate | Cupric citrate | |
| Copper gluconate | Cupric gluconate | |
| Copper sulfate | Cupric sulphate | |
| Copper lysine complex |
| Name | CN | EU |
| Potassium | Potassium carbonate | Potassium carbonate |
| Potassium chloride | Potassium chloride | |
| Potassium citrate | Potassium citrate | |
| Potassium gluconate | Potassium gluconate | |
| Potassium lactate | Potassium lactate | |
| Potassium glycerol phosphate | Potassium glycerophosphate | |
| Potassium phosphate dibasic | ||
| Potassium Sulphate | ||
| Potassium iodide | ||
| Potassium iodate | ||
| Potassium bicarbonate | ||
| Potassium hydroxide | ||
| Potassium salts of orthophosphoric acid | ||
| Potassium fluoride |
| Name | CN | EU |
| Zinc | Zinc acetate | Zinc acetate |
| Zinc carbonate | Zinc carbonate | |
| Zinc chloride | Zinc chloride | |
| Zinc citrate | Zinc citrate | |
| Zinc gluconate | Zinc gluconate | |
| Zinc lactate | Zinc lactate | |
| Zinc sulfate | Zinc sulphate | |
| Zinc oxide | Zinc oxide |
| Name | CN | EU |
| Manganese | Manganese sulphate | Manganese sulphate |
| Manganese gluconate | Manganese gluconate | |
| Manganese chloride | Manganese chloride | |
| Manganese citrate | Manganese citrate | |
| Manganese glycerol phosphate | Manganese glycerophosphate | |
| Manganese carbonate |
| Name | CN | EU |
| Chromium | Chromium trichloride | Chromium (III) chloride |
| Chromium nicotinate | ||
| Chromium picolinate | ||
| Chromium yeast | ||
| Chromium (III) sulphate |
| Name | CN | EU |
| Molybdenum | Ammonium Molybdate | Ammonium molybdate (molybdenum (VI)) |
| Sodium Molybdate Dihydrate | Sodium molybdate (molybdenum (VI)) |
| Name | CN | EU |
| Selenium | Sodium selenate | Sodium selenate |
| Sodium selenite | Sodium selenite | |
| Selenium carrageenan | ||
| Selenium cysteine | ||
| Selenium—rich yeast | ||
| Selenomethionine | ||
| Sodium hydrogen selenite |
Vitamin Substances
| Name | CN | EU |
| VITAMIN A | All trans Retinol | Retinol |
| Vitamin A acetate | Retinyl acetate | |
| Retinyl palmitate | Retinyl palmitate | |
| All trans beta—Carotene | Beta-carotene |
| Name | CN | EU |
| VITAMIN D | Vitamin D2 | Ergocalciferol |
| Vitamin D3 | Cholecalciferol |
| Name | CN | EU |
| VITAMIN E | D—alpha—tocopherol | D-alpha-tocopherol |
| DL—alpha—tocopherol | DL-alpha-tocopherol | |
| DL—alpha tocopheryl acetate | D-alpha-tocopheryl acetate | |
| D—alpha—tocopheryl acid succinate | D-alpha-tocopheryl acid succinate | |
| Mixed tocopherols | ||
| D—alpha—tocopheryl acetate | ||
| DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate |
| Name | CN | EU |
| VITAMIN K | Vitamin K1(Phytonadione) | |
| Vitamin K2(Menaquinones) | ||
| Phylloquinone (phytomenadione) |
| Name | CN | EU |
| VITAMIN B1 | Thiamin hydrochloride | Thiamin hydrochloride |
| Thiamin mononitrate | Thiamin mononitrate |
| Name | CN | EU |
| VITAMIN B2 | Riboflavin | Riboflavin |
| Riboflavin—5’—phosphate,sodium | Riboflavin 5’-phosphate, sodium |
| Name | CN | EU |
| NIACIN | Nicotinic acid | Nicotinic acid |
| Nicotinamide | Nicotinamide |
| Name | CN | EU |
| PANTOTHENIC ACID | D—pantothenate,sodium | D-pantothenate, sodium |
| D—pantothenate,calcium | D-pantothenate, calcium | |
| Pantothenic Acid | ||
| Calcium pantothenate | ||
| D—panthenol | ||
| Dexpanthenol |
| Name | CN | EU |
| VITAMIN B6 | Pyridoxine hydrochloride | Pyridoxine hydrochloride |
| Pyridoxine 5’—phosphate | Pyridoxine 5’-phosphate |
| Name | CN | EU |
| FOLIC ACID | Pteroylmonoglutamic acid (Folic Acid) | Pteroylmonoglutamic acid |
| Name | CN | EU |
| VITAMIN B12 | Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) | Cyanocobalamin |
| Hydroxocobalamin | Hydroxocobalamin |
| Name | CN | EU |
| BIOTIN | D—biotin | D-biotin |
| Name | CN | EU |
| VITAMIN C | L—ascorbic acid | L-ascorbic acid |
| Calcium—L—ascorbate | Calcium-L-ascorbate | |
| Potassium—L—ascorbate | Potassium-L-ascorbate | |
| Sodium—L—ascorbate | Sodium-L-ascorbate | |
| Ascorbyl palmitate | ||
| L-ascorbyl 6-palmitate |
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