dsm-firmenich expands human milk oligosaccharide portfolio in China

Published: 3-Aug-2023

The company has staked its claim with two new ingredient submissions to the China National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment as well as the National Health Committee

dsm-firmenich is set to expand its human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) portfolio in China with two new ingredient submissions to the China National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) and National Health Committee (NHC).

The company has submitted Nutrition Fortifier (NF) dossiers for its GlyCare 3’-sialyllactose (3’-SL) and 6’-sialyllactose (6’-SL) ingredients – joining the registration process of its 2’-fucosyllactose (2’-FL) and lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT) HMOs. 

The HMO production strains of dsm-firmenich’s 3’-SL and 6’-SL have already received safety clearance confirmed by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) in September 2021. In the next stage, both 3’-SL and 6’-SL NF dossiers will go through a rigorous multi-phase regulatory assessment by CFSA to achieve food additive registration for early life nutrition (ELN) use in China.

We continue to take positive strides in the region – first with the favorable progression of our 2’-FL and LNnT nutrition fortifier

- Annette Lau, Global Regulatory Affairs Manager ELN

This development follows the 2021 submission of dsm-firmenich’s 2’-FL and LNnT HMOs as food additives for infant nutrition in China, which are now in the final stages of the food additive approval process.

“The authorisation process in China is stringent and highly challenging to navigate, comprising multiple rounds of technical review by scientific and regulatory experts, as well as a rigorous approval process that safeguards the safety and benefit of nutrition fortifiers intended for infants and young children. We continue to take positive strides in the region – first with the favorable progression of our 2’-FL and LNnT nutrition fortifier regulatory submissions, and now the submission of 3’-SL and 6’-SL,” said Annette Lau, Global Regulatory Affairs Manager ELN at dsm-firmenich.

HMOs are powerful emerging ingredients, and important components of human breast milk, that play fundamental roles in infant nutrition and health by supporting gut health, immune function and potentially cognitive development. dsm-firmenich has additional HMOs in the approvals system in China.

As a pioneer in HMO research, development and manufacturing, the company continues to drive a new era in HMO innovation, with plans to expand its offering in the early life nutrition and dietary supplement categories across multiple regions worldwide. Currently, dsm-firmenich’s science-backed GlyCare HMO portfolio is available for use in more than 160 countries worldwide – leading in market access and the number of HMO approvals globally.

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