Management and use of food ingredient hyaluronic acid at home and abroad

Abstract

Hyaluronic acid （HA）， a natural substance widely present in the human body， exhibits diverse physiological regulatory effects and is often found in the structurally stable form known as sodium hyaluronate （SH）. HA finds extensive use in the food industry. Many countries and regions， including Japan， the United States， and the European Union， permit the use of HA in common foods. In contrast， Korea allows HA only in healthy foods and beverages. In China， approval for HA （in the SH form） as a health food ingredient was granted in 2008， and its usage was expanded to general food in December 2020. This study provides an overview of the characteristics of the product， its oral efficacy， regulatory categories， production processes， scope of application， safety limits， and approved functional claims both domestically and internationally. The goal is to explore its applicability and potential market demand. Simultaneously， the status of relevant regulations and approved uses are organized and analyzed to offer a systematic reference for the research and development， regulation， and consumption of HA-related food products. The aim is to promote the rational use and development of HA in the food industry.

Keywords

• hyaluronic acid （sodium hyaluronate）
• new food ingredients
• regulatory management standards
• food safety regulation