Indian high court grants interim stay on ashwagandha leaf ban
The Karnataka High Court in Bangalore has temporarily stayed the Indian government’s restriction on the use of ashwagandha leaves issued last month after industry stakeholders challenged the rationale behind the blanket ban.
The interim order responds to an over 600-page petition with supporting documentation submitted on May 8 by a group of dietary supplement manufacturers objecting to an April 16 advisory issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The advisory was directed against the use of ashwagandha leaves in crude or extract or any other form in food products.
India-New Zealand FTA: NZ health product firms on opportunities, challenges
India and New Zealand recently inked a FTA that allows nutritional products such as manuka honey and bulk infant formula from New Zealand to be imported at lower tariff rates.
At the moment, there is a 66% tariff on New Zealand’s manuka honey exported into India, but will be reduced to to 16.5% in five years’ time.
“The FTA is a great opportunity. I applaud the two governments for coming together to find a path forward,” Karl Gradon, CEO of New Zealand-based manuka honey maker Comvita, told NutraIngredients.
HMO infant formulas: Regulatory developments to drive NPD and affordability
The growing number of regulatory approvals for human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in infant formulas is set to fuel product innovation and drive more affordable pricing in the long run.
Regulatory approvals of HMOs have been the driver of new launches in infant nutrition products, said Annette Lau – Global Regulatory Affairs Senior Manager ELN & MN at dsm-firmenich.
She pointed out that in 2024, regulatory approvals of HMOs have accounted for up to 28% of new formulas entering the global market.
India bans ashwagandha leaf use in any form, industry reacts
On April 16, the Indian government issued an advisory restricting the use of ashwagandha leaves in crude or extract or any other form in food products, catching many industry stakeholders by surprise.
This follows a letter published by the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (Ayush), directing product manufacturers to use root only—not leaf—and requiring that all plants parts used be identified on product labels.
It cites a 2024 updated ashwagandha safety dossier and its reports, which categorically recommends root use for health benefit, as well as two studies shared by the ministry identifying “possible safety concerns for ashwagandha leaves due to higher concentrations of reactive withanolides, particularly withaferin A.”
South Korea’s MFDS reiterates ban on Gymnema sylvestre, Bacopa in supplements
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has reiterated its ban on some of the commonly used ingredients in health supplements, including Gymnema sylvestre and Bacopa, due to concerns around side effects such as hepatitis and abdominal pain.
The MFDS said that these banned ingredients were discovered in its recent inspection of overseas-made health supplements sold into South Korea via e-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay.
In South Korea, these ingredients are subject to an import ban under Article 25-3 of the Special Act on the Safety Management of Imported Food and are said to pose a risk to public health.
