Taiwan is a natural first export market for a Japan-made supplement — geographically close, with shelves already full of capsule and tablet products. But a Japan-made formula does not enter Taiwan as “a supplement” in the way it might in your home market. Taiwan’s food authority draws a sharp line between an ordinary tablet or capsule food and a “health food” carrying an approved function claim, and the two follow very different rules.
This guide covers who regulates supplements in Taiwan, how a Japan-made capsule or tablet product is classified, what import inspection involves, and what your Chinese-language label must say.
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Who regulates supplements, and which category applies
Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare, through the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), regulates all tablet and capsule products as either ordinary food, “health food,” or medicine — and the category depends entirely on the claim, not the ingredients.
A capsule or tablet product with no approved health claim is regulated as ordinary food under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation. The same ingredients, sold with one of Taiwan’s approved health function claims, must instead be approved as “health food” (健康食品) under the separate Health Food Control Act before it can be marketed with that claim.
| Category | What it means | Who approves it |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary food (tablet/capsule form) | No health function claim; ingredients such as vitamins or botanical extracts sold as a plain food | No pre-market health-claim approval needed, but still subject to normal food-safety and import rules |
| Health food (健康食品) | Carries one of TFDA’s approved function claims (for example liver protection, blood-lipid regulation, immune modulation) | TFDA, under the Health Food Control Act, before the product is marketed with that claim |
| Medicine | Ingredient or claim goes beyond food, into treating or diagnosing disease | Not a food-import route at all |
A Japan-made supplement sold in Taiwan without a health claim stays in the ordinary-food route, which is far simpler. The moment you want to say the product supports one of the approved functions, it must go through health-food approval first.
Health food approval: two tracks, thirteen claims
TFDA currently recognises thirteen approved health functions, and a product can only be approved through one of two review tracks — there is no shortcut for a Japan-made ingredient that already carries a Japanese function claim.
The thirteen approved health-food functions include liver protection, anti-fatigue, blood-lipid regulation, blood-glucose regulation, immune modulation, bone health, dental health, delaying ageing, promoting iron absorption, gastrointestinal function improvement, assisting blood-pressure regulation, reducing body-fat formation, and assisting the adjustment of allergic constitution. A claim outside this list cannot be used on a Taiwan health-food label.
| Review track | How it works |
|---|---|
| Track 1 — individual case review | The applicant submits its own scientific evidence for the specific product; used for a novel formula or claim not yet covered by a set specification |
| Track 2 — specification standard review | Applies where TFDA has already published a specification standard the product can be shown to meet |
An approved health food must carry the “健康食品” (health food) wording, its approval number, and the official mark on the package, and may not describe a medical effect, use exaggerated wording, or claim a function beyond the approved scope. A Japanese Foods with Function Claims notification carries no weight in this process — Taiwan’s approval is separate and evaluated on its own evidence.
💬 Weighing whether to enter Taiwan as an ordinary food or apply for health-food approval? Tell us the claim you want to make and we help you see what the formula supports.
Import inspection
A commercial shipment of tablet or capsule food must clear TFDA’s import food inspection before customs release — this is separate from, and stricter than, the small exemption available for personal-use imports.
The Taiwan-side importer, as the party reporting the import, applies to TFDA for import food inspection (輸入食品查驗) and must show the product meets Taiwan’s food-safety and labelling rules. An approval issued on inspection is valid for five years, after which it must be renewed. This commercial process is separate from Taiwan’s personal-use exemption, which lets a traveller or individual buyer bring in up to twelve bottles per product type, and no more than thirty-six bottles in total, without applying for inspection — that exemption does not apply to goods intended for sale.
Chinese label requirements for tablet and capsule food
A Japan-made capsule or tablet product needs a Traditional Chinese label, and — if it carries no health-food approval — the word “食品” (food) must appear on the pack in a font no smaller than the brand or product name.
This “食品” marking requirement has applied to packaged tablet and capsule foods since 1 January 1990, specifically to stop shoppers mistaking a food-form product for a medicine. Beyond that marking, the label must show the product name, ingredient list, net weight, expiry date and importer information in Traditional Chinese characters — Taiwan does not accept Simplified Chinese as a substitute. Prepackaged vitamin and mineral tablets and capsules additionally carry a specific warning statement, such as “no more than [a stated number] tablets/capsules per day” or “excessive intake does not benefit health,” under Taiwan’s nutrition-labelling rules for this product form.
| Label element | Ordinary food (tablet/capsule) | Health food (健康食品) |
|---|---|---|
| Category wording | ”食品” (food), font at least as large as the brand/product name | ”健康食品” wording, approval number and official mark |
| Function claim | None permitted | Only the approved wording, within the approved scope |
| Vitamin/mineral warning | Required where applicable, per the tablet/capsule nutrition-labelling rule | Required where applicable |
| Language | Traditional Chinese | Traditional Chinese |
Ingredient restrictions that commonly affect Japanese formulas
An ingredient does not become importable into Taiwan just because it is permitted in Japan — botanical and novel ingredients in particular need a separate Taiwan check.
Japan and Taiwan do not share one ingredient list. A botanical extract or novel raw material used freely in a Japanese formula may sit outside Taiwan’s permitted food ingredient scope, or may be restricted to a maximum level different from Japan’s. This matters most for herbal “relaxation,” “beauty” or “joint” formulas that combine several actives — every companion ingredient needs its own Taiwan check, not just the headline ingredient.
Documents a Japanese factory can provide
A specification sheet, a Certificate of Analysis and a Certificate of Free Sale are the documents your Taiwan importer will most often ask for to support import inspection or health-food approval.
- Specification sheet. Full ingredient list, amount per serving, dosage form and packaging detail — the base document for both the ordinary-food and health-food routes.
- Certificate of Analysis (CoA). Batch test results confirming the product matches its specification.
- Certificate of Free Sale. Confirms the product is legally sold as a food in Japan; useful supporting evidence for the Taiwan import process, though the Taiwan-side importer is the one who files the actual application.
- Certificate of origin. Supports customs clearance and any origin-related question at the Taiwan border.
Before you ask for a quotation
- Whether you plan to sell in Taiwan as ordinary food or apply for health-food (健康食品) approval
- The exact wording of any claim you intend to make, checked against TFDA’s thirteen approved functions
- Dosage form and any vitamin/mineral content that would trigger the tablet/capsule warning statement
- Whether your Taiwan importer already holds import experience, since they will be the applicant of record for import inspection
- Which documents you need from the factory: specification sheet, CoA, Certificate of Free Sale, certificate of origin
💬 Ready to move a Japan-made supplement toward the Taiwan market? Send us your product concept and target claim.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can I sell a Japan-made supplement in Taiwan without any special approval?
Yes, as an ordinary food, provided you make no health function claim and the product meets Taiwan’s general food-safety and labelling rules, including import inspection for commercial shipments.
2. Does a Japanese Foods with Function Claims notification transfer to Taiwan?
No. Taiwan’s “health food” (健康食品) approval is a separate process under its own Health Food Control Act, evaluated on evidence submitted to TFDA, regardless of what is notified in Japan.
3. Who applies for Taiwan’s import food inspection — the Japanese factory or the Taiwan importer?
The Taiwan-side importer applies, as the party reporting the import. The Japanese factory supports the application with documents such as the specification sheet and Certificate of Analysis.
4. Does every capsule or tablet product need to say “食品” on the label?
Products sold as ordinary food in tablet or capsule form must display “食品” in a font no smaller than the brand or product name. A product approved as health food instead carries the “健康食品” wording and approval mark.
5. Can I use a Simplified Chinese label for Taiwan?
No. Taiwan requires Traditional Chinese characters on the food label, not Simplified Chinese.
Sources: Ministry of Health and Welfare / Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), personal-use import exemption for tablet/capsule food, mohw.gov.tw; TFDA announcement requiring “食品” labelling on packaged tablet/capsule foods since 1 January 1990, fda.gov.tw; TFDA guidance on health food (健康食品) definition, dual-track review and the thirteen approved health functions, fda.gov.tw and mohw.gov.tw; TFDA commercial import food inspection process and five-year approval validity, fda.gov.tw; Regulations on Nutrition Labeling for Prepackaged Vitamin and Mineral Tablets and Capsules, TFDA. Checked on 25 September 2026.