Tmall Health, in partnership with dozens of prominent domestic health supplement companies including By-Health, Caltrate, Centrum, Harbin Pharmaceutical, 21 Gold-Vita, Conba, Jianlidoo, YANG SHENG TANG, Shouxiangu, Sensun, and Nuohui, has jointly launched the "Health Supplements Assurance Alliance." The alliance aims to promote standardization, regulation, and transparency within the health supplement industry. It encourages consumers to look for the "Blue Hat" certification mark when purchasing supplements and to choose products that better align with the nutritional and health needs of the Chinese population.
The establishment of the alliance follows the recent, widely publicized counterfeit incident involving the Australian brand "You Si Yi." This product, a top seller on cross-border e-commerce platforms, was exposed as a "fake foreign brand" created through marketing packaging. While its research, development, and manufacturing were all conducted domestically, it was sold at high premiums by leveraging cross-border e-commerce channels to appear as an imported good. Following the exposure of the incident, China's State Council Food Safety Office, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the General Administration of Customs promptly initiated investigations.
In recent years, there have been repeated exposures of "pseudo-imported" health supplements involving the registration of shell companies, fabrication of country-of-origin backgrounds, and exaggerated efficacy claims, forming a grey industry chain. An article published on April 2nd pointed out that under current regulations, health supplements entering China via the cross-border e-commerce "bonded import" model for online shopping do not require obtaining domestic "Blue Hat" registration or filing. They are only regulated as "personal items for self-use," raising questions about whether this mechanism creates loopholes exploited by "fake imports."
In contrast to cross-border products, domestic health foods must undergo strict registration and filing processes. They can only be marketed after obtaining the "Blue Hat" mark and approval number, with long-term random inspection pass rates consistently exceeding 99%.
The China Consumers Association has explicitly advised consumers to always check for the "Blue Hat" mark and approval number when purchasing health supplements. Legitimate health food packaging must bear the "Blue Hat" mark and approval number approved by the State Administration for Market Regulation (or its predecessor, the China Food and Drug Administration). This is the most direct and authoritative method to verify a product's legal status.
Companies within the newly formed "Health Supplements Assurance Alliance" will collectively establish a baseline standard centered on "returning to science, returning to regulation, and returning to responsibility towards consumers." The initiative seeks to promote the orderly and healthy development of the industry, making "look for the Blue Hat" the simplest and most reliable purchasing guideline for consumers.
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