New Regulation Takes Effect | CaHMB Officially Included in the GB 29922-2025 FSMP Framework, Expanding Use to Individuals Aged 10+ and Opening a New Clinical Nutrition Market

In 2025, the FSMP industry entered a major regulatory transition. The newly revised GB 29922-2025 General Standard for Formula Foods for Special Medical Purposes [2] was officially implemented, replacing the previous 2013 version that had been in use for more than a decade.

 

The most significant highlight of this revision is the substantial expansion of the approved functional ingredient list for FSMPs, along with more detailed population-specific application guidelines covering infants and young children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. Among the newly recognized ingredients, Calcium β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate (CaHMB) has been officially incorporated into the FSMP ingredient system, becoming one of the most valuable growth opportunities in the clinical nutrition ingredient sector in 2025.

 

I. New Standard Implementation Expands the Application Scope of FSMP Ingredients

As a core mandatory standard governing China’s FSMP industry, the revision of GB 29922-2025 introduces two major regulatory changes that directly reshape product development strategies:

 

1.Refined Age Classification and Expanded Population Applicability

The new standard clearly defines applicable age groups and allows a broader range of functional ingredients for populations aged 10 years and above. This adjustment removes key compliance barriers for the development of FSMP products targeting adolescent nutritional support, adult functional maintenance, and muscle health management for middle-aged and older adults.

 

2. Introduction of Functional Ingredients Drives the Shift Beyond Basic Nutrition
Beyond traditional nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, and minerals, the revised standard introduces a range of functional ingredients with long-term safety validation and clearly demonstrated physiological benefits. The inclusion of CaHMB marks a significant transition for China’s FSMP industry—from conventional “basic nutritional supplementation” toward precision nutrition focused on functional maintenance and muscle health management.

 

II. Strategic Entry: CaHMB Completes the Regulatory Compliance Pathway for FSMP Applications

Before this, CaHMB had already been recognized as an approved novel food ingredient by China’s National Health Commission (NHC). According to Announcement No. 1 of 2025 issued by the NHC [3], its ingredient status, production process, applicable food categories, and maximum usage levels have been officially defined.

 

With the official implementation of GB 29922-2025, CaHMB has achieved a dual compliance framework through both the novel food ingredient approval and FSMP standard recognition, allowing its use in formula foods for special medical purposes intended for populations aged 10 years and above.

 

From the perspective of ingredient characteristics, CaHMB is a naturally occurring metabolite of leucine in the human body and is also present in daily foods. Its industrial production process is well established, providing stable purity, consistent quality, and low batch-to-batch variation, making it suitable for large-scale food manufacturing. Currently, CaHMB has received regulatory approvals for food use in multiple markets, including the European Union, the United States, Japan, and Canada [1], demonstrating a mature global safety and application framework.

 

(*Based on available safety data, consumption by infants, pregnant women, and lactating women is not recommended at this stage.)

 

III. Industry Landscape Reshaping: CaHMB Transitions from a Niche Supplement to a Mainstream Functional Nutrition Ingredient

 

For years, CaHMB applications in China have remained highly concentrated in limited scenarios. Before its regulatory pathway for FSMP applications was clearly established, the use of CaHMB in FSMPs and premium mainstream nutrition products was largely undeveloped, resulting in significantly lower market penetration compared with mature overseas markets. With the implementation of the new standard, CaHMB is now positioned within a three-dimensional market structure encompassing sports nutrition, clinical nutrition, and mainstream functional foods.

 

1. Solid Foundation in Sports Nutrition

With the continued growth of fitness, home exercise, and body-shaping trends in China, consumer demand for reducing exercise-related muscle damage, addressing muscle loss caused by sedentary lifestyles, and maintaining physical function continues to rise. Backed by years of scientific research and market validation, CaHMB has become a key functional ingredient in sports nutrition products, with stable demand and sustained growth potential.

 

2. FSMPs Become a Core Growth Opportunity

Previously, China’s FSMP market faced challenges including ingredient homogeneity and limited functional differentiation, with most products focusing primarily on basic nutrition support rather than targeted functional management. The inclusion of CaHMB precisely addresses this market gap by providing targeted nutritional support for common needs such as adolescent physical development, muscle fatigue associated with sedentary lifestyles in adults, and muscle decline among older adults. Leveraging the high credibility of FSMP products, this sector is expected to become a major platform for realizing the value potential of CaHMB.

 

3. Continued Expansion into Mainstream Food Applications

Supported by its broad regulatory acceptance as a functional ingredient, CaHMB has gradually expanded into mainstream categories such as premium dairy products, functional snacks, and nutritional beverages. As consumer awareness of muscle health, healthy aging, and preventive nutrition continues to increase, CaHMB is expected to move beyond its traditional “fitness-only” positioning and become a premium functional nutrition ingredient for broader consumer applications.

 

Advantages of L&P Foods

1. State-Owned Enterprise Background and Strong Technical Expertise

As a high-tech enterprise under Guangdong Environmental Protection Group, L&P Food Ingredient Co., Ltd. (L&P Foods) has been deeply engaged in the food ingredients industry for 40 years. Built on the foundation of the former Guangdong Food Industry Institute, the company has established a provincial engineering technology research center and a postdoctoral workstation, reflecting its strong R&D capabilities and solid technical foundation. Since 2024, L&P Foods has showcased CaHMB at major domestic and international industry exhibitions. Its technical specifications are benchmarked against international standards, demonstrating the company’s commitment to high-quality ingredient innovation.

 

2.Reliable In-House Production and Quality Control

Self-owned production base: Located in Wengyuan, Shaoguan, L&P Foods manages the entire process in-house, from raw material production to finished product packaging. The company is also among the few enterprises in China holding a CaHMB production license.

High purity and low impurity profile: The product offers a high level of purity, while heavy metals and impurity residues are strictly controlled to standards beyond national requirements. This makes it suitable for compliant applications across multiple scenarios, including sports nutrition, dairy products, and foods for special medical purposes.

 

3.Policy-Aligned Solutions with Full-Service Support

After China raised the daily intake limit of CaHMB to 6 g in 2025, L&P Foods quickly optimized its ingredient solutions to help customers upgrade their products accordingly. The company also has mature nutritional premix technology and can provide customized formulations, along with one-stop support covering formula design, process optimization, and label compliance guidance, helping customers reduce R&D and production costs.

 

4.Diverse Product Portfolio and Reliable International Certifications

In addition to CaHMB, L&P Foods has also developed a range of functional ingredients, including phosphatidylserine and oat β-glucan, enabling the company to offer diversified nutrition solutions. Its products are supported by multiple international certifications, including BRC, ISO, and Halal, and comply with relevant domestic and international standards. They have also been incorporated into the supply chains of several leading food companies.

 

In the future, the market landscape will move beyond a single sports nutrition scenario. A three-dimensional application ecosystem integrating FSMP nutrition, mainstream functional foods, and sports nutrition will be fully established. CaHMB is expected to become one of the fastest-growing functional nutrition ingredients in China.