On November 17, the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued the "Announcement on the 9 Newly Added Substances, Including Codonopsis, Traditionally Regarded as Both Food and Chinese Medicinal Materials". After safety assessment and pilot production and operation, Ganoderma, Codonopsis pilosula, Cistanche deserticola, Dendrobium catenatum, American Ginseng, Astragalus membranaceus, Cornus officinalis, Gastrodia elata, and Eucommia folium, a total of 9 substances, have been included in the list of substances traditionally used as both food and Chinese medicinal materials.

 

 

This measure, commonly known as "Medicine and Food Homology (MFH)", means that these 9 types of Chinese medicinal materials have been officially recognized as the substances of the dual-purpose for medicine and food and will appear more frequently in our lives in the future.  

 

1. It's not easy to be included in the "Dual-Purpose for Medicine and Food" Directory!

 

According to the "Regulations on the Management of the Directory of Substances that are Both Food and Chinese Medicinal Materials" published by the National Health Commission in 2021, inclusion in the food and medicine substance directory should meet four requirements, including:

 

● Has the tradition of being used as food;

● Listed in the “Chinese Pharmacopoeia”;

● No food safety issues were found in the safety assessment;

● Complies with the relevant laws and regulations on the protection of Chinese medicinal materials resources, protection of wild animals and plants, and ecological protection.

 

And Ganoderma fully meets the above requirements.

 

To begin with, Ganoderma has a medicinal history that spans over two thousand years. It was first documented in the medical book "Shennong's Materia Medica", which states that "long-term consumption leads to longevity". Furthermore, the 2020 edition of the "Chinese Pharmacopoeia" includes Ganoderma, describing its property, flavor, actions, and indications as "suppressing cough, relieving wheezing, tonifying qi, and tranquilizing the mind".

 

Regarding food safety, the Ganoderma industry has always prioritized it. For instance, GanoHerb’s Ganoderma products are a prime example of this commitment. The entire process, from the cultivation of Ganoderma, through production and processing, to product packaging, undergoes rigorous testing that exceeds national standards. This includes batch testing for agricultural residues, heavy metals, and pathogenic bacteria, significantly enhancing the safety of Ganoderma products.

 

Every year, the raw materials from the GanoHerb Ganoderma base are sent to a third-party testing organization for over 600 agricultural residue tests.

 

2. The inclusion of Ganoderma in the "Medicine and Food Homology" directory will unlock more "light health preservation" solutions.

 

As early as 2022, GanoHerb, as one of the first pilot production companies in Fujian for dual-use food and medicine, launched a series of "Ganoderma+" products that are homology of medicine and food. This includes 9 light health preservation products such as Ganoderma Coffee Solid Beverage, Ganoderma & Spine Date Seed Beverage, and Ganoderma & Ginseng Solid Beverage, which have been well received.

 

GanoHerb Medicine and Food Homology Products

 

Ganoderma Coffee Solid Beverage

 

Ganoderma & Spine Date Seed Beverage

 

Today, various studies have confirmed that Ganoderma has a wide range of pharmacological effects. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the greatest benefit of Ganoderma to the body lies in its ability to reinforce healthy energy and secure the root. This allows the body to reach a state in which sufficient healthy energy is preserved, such that pathogenic factors cannot invade. This is precisely the physical state that most people aspire to achieve.

 

With Ganoderma officially included in the "food and medicine homology" directory, it will facilitate the market development of more "Ganoderma+" health products. In the future, lightweight products such as Ganoderma medicinal meals, Ganoderma food, Ganoderma herbal tea, and Ganoderma beverages may appear one after another, truly integrating into our daily lives for our use and benefiting public health. 

 

Against the backdrop of the awakening of the health preservation consciousness among the public, the concept of light health preservation that returns to tradition and reinforces healthy energy is gradually becoming mainstream. Consuming Ganoderma for longevity may become the next best solution.