台灣與加拿大健康食品審查制度及行銷之問題研究

Abstract

The main goal of this paper is to undertake in a descriptive overview and analysis of the health foods regulations in Taiwan and Canada especially with regard to the approval process. With rising health care costs and with the aim to promote consumer safety and awareness, it is worth examining the nomenclature and classification of this sector in these two jurisdictions with an objective to improve understanding of the legislation, requirements for approval, labelling and advertising of health foods. A detailed study of the challenges experienced by stakeholders on both regimes would also provide insight as to how to streamline the regulatory process in terms of application. Because a regulatory system with respect to the number of permissible health claims, slow and cumbersome approval processes, and maintaining consumer confidence regarding safety and efficacy of different products and health claims, can discourage investments and R&D, this paper recommends that an ideal regulatory system besides offering reasonable assurance of the safely, efficacy and nutritional value of health foods to consumers should also recognize and accept the regulatory approvals of fast-track evaluation of similar products and claims, have a standard operating procedure in terms of the evaluation and approval processes, have the associated timelines of which should be transparent and clearly define predictable and the costs, rights and obligations of both regulators and applicants, work with the industry participation to improve self-regulation, provides clear and enforceable standards for health claims to promote and not to inhibit public awareness and welfare, and strive to provide products with physiological benefits to consumers as soon as possible.