Ordinary food: refers to all kinds of finished products and raw materials for human consumption or drinking as well as items that are both food and medicine according to tradition, but does not include items for therapeutic purposes. (According to Article 99 of the Food Safety Law)

Health food: food that is suitable for consumption by specific groups of people and has the ability to regulate the functions of the organism, but does not aim at treating diseases. Health food must meet four requirements, first, by the necessary animal or population to do functional tests to prove that it has a clear and stable health effects; second, a variety of raw materials and their products must meet the requirements of food hygiene, the human body does not produce any acute, subacute or chronic hazards; third, the composition of the formula and dosage must be scientifically based, with clear efficacy of the ingredients; fourth, the labeling, instructions and advertisements shall not publicize therapeutic effects. (According to Article 2 and Article 4 of the Measures for the Administration of Health Food).

Difference 2: different raw materials

Ordinary food: the raw materials used must be safe.

Health food: the raw materials used are required to be safe within the scope of use of the product (safety toxicology tests), pharmaceutical raw materials need to be recognized through a comprehensive evaluation of pharmacology and toxicology and clinical.

Difference three: management is different

Ordinary food: by the district level of the Health Bureau and Technical Supervision Bureau management.

Health food: reviewed by the State Food and Drug Administration, the provincial State Food and Drug Administration to manage the production process.

Difference 4: different labeling management and naming

Ordinary food: the requirements refer to GB7718 and food labeling management regulations.

Health food: reference to health food naming regulations and drug instructions labeling management regulations.

Difference 5: Different labeling management and naming

Ordinary food: Requirements with reference to GB7718 and food labeling management regulations.

Health food: reference to health food naming requirements and drug instructions labeling management regulations.

Difference 6: different reporting procedures

Ordinary food: to the local quality and technical supervision authority will be the enterprise standard for the record, in the food hygiene license can be added to the scope.

Health food: the need to declare to the State Food and Drug Administration, the approval down, but also in the health license to increase the scope.

Difference 7: food hygiene license acceptance of different departments

Ordinary food: generally in the health supervision to obtain food hygiene license can be.

Health food: in the Drug Administration to obtain, in obtaining health permits at the same time for health food GMP audit, that is, in the food hygiene license marked in line with health food GMP.