Recently, the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation issued an announcement on four substances including Rehmannia Glutinosa which are traditionally both food and traditional Chinese Medicine. Rehmannia Glutinosa, Ophiopogon Japonicus, Asparagus Cochinchinensis and Citrus Grandis Tomentosa are all in the list. Citrus Grandis Tomentosa, also known as pummelo peel, often referred to as the "Ginseng of the South", is a unique medicinal resource from Huazhou in Maoming, Guangdong. It is considered the top among the eight major traditional medicinal herbs of the Lingnan region and is protected by law in Guangdong Province.

Liao Zhilve, a post-90s returning migrant worker, is the deputy to the National People's Congress and Chairman of Peilin Pummelo Peel Planting Professional Cooperative in Huazhou. This local specialty from his hometown of Huazhou, Maoming, has been grown for over 1,600 years. Liao has dedicated years to advancing pummelo peel planting, production, and cultural promotion, contributing to the revitalization of the local rural community.

During this year's Two Sessions, Liao Zhilve submitted a proposal to accelerate the approval process for recognizing the medicine and food homology of Pummelo Peel. In July, the National Health Commission responded, indicating that the approval process was underway. Less than a month later, the two national departments announced that pummelo peel was officially included in the list of food and medicine homology.

Liao stated that the successful approval of pummelo peel in the list of food and medicine homology has removed previous limitations on the industry's high-quality development. This recognition of its dual role as food and medicine will broaden its application. It is expected to lead to expanded use in areas such as food processing, health product development, and the catering industry, potentially creating a range of innovative products composed of pummelo peel. The industry is anticipated to experience significant growth, greatly contributing to rural revitalization in Maoming and increasing farmers' incomes.

Liao explained that pummelo peel, a unique local specialty from Huazhou in Maoming, Guangdong, has seen significant growth in recent years. Thanks to the entire industry chain by the Maoming Municipal Government, the planting area has exceeded 130,000 mu (8,666 hectares), with the entire industry chain generating a value of 10.2 billion yuan. The industry has created employment for over 350,000 people, making it a key contributor to local prosperity and income improvement.

Source :Lingnan on the Cloud

国家两部门发布公告，化橘红药食同源！

化橘红药食同源啦！日前，国家卫生健康委员会、国家市场监督管理总局发布《关于地黄等4种按照传统既是食品又是中药材的物质的公告》，将地黄、麦冬、天冬、化橘红等4种物质纳入按照传统既是食品又是中药材的物质目录。化橘红素有“南方人参”之称，是广东茂名化州独有的中药材和地方资源，被广东省列为立法保护的岭南八大道地药材之首。

全国人大代表、化州市培林橘红种植专业合作社社长廖志略是一位“90后”返乡新农人，化橘红是他家乡茂名化州市道地“土特产”，距今已有1600多年的栽培历史。他多年来致力于推动化橘红种植、生产和文化推广，带动当地乡村振兴。

在今年全国两会上，廖志略提交了一份《加快推进化橘红药食同源批复工作的建议》，今年7月国家卫生健康委员会就此建议进行了答复，表示正在按照相关程序对化橘红药食同源进行报批。不到一个月，这份答复就有了成果，国家两部门公告，化橘红纳入药食同源目录。

廖志略表示，化橘红药食同源的成功批复，破除了限制化橘红产业高质量发展的瓶颈，意味着其在食品与药品领域的双重属性得到认可，将进一步拓宽化橘红的应用领域，推动其在食品加工、保健品开发、餐饮业等方面的广泛应用，有望催生一系列以化橘红为主要成分的创新产品。化橘红产业必将迎来更高光的发展时刻，也会极大助力茂名当地乡村振兴，促进农民增收致富。

廖志略介绍，化橘红作为广东省茂名市化州市独有的“土特产”，近年来，在茂名市委市政府全产业链的推动下，种植面积超过了13万亩，全产业链产值达到了102亿元，从事和带动的就业人员超过35万人，成为当地重要的富民产业。

文、图｜记者 柳卓楠
部分图片由受访者提供
译｜林佳岱
英文审校｜王枥焓