The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is fortifying  regulations for nutraceuticals and health supplements in light of numerous complaints regarding the non-compliant health supplements saturating the market, said officials. 

Nutraceuticals are products derived from food sources that are believed to provide additional health benefits, besides the basic nutritional value found in foods, and can be available in the form of pills, syrups, capsules, powders, gummies and chewables. 

Officials revealed that an extensive nationwide drive was conducted by the authority to inspect the quality and safety standards maintained throughout the manufacturing and sale processes of these products.

The recent deliberations within the scientific panel of the food authority drew attention to potential concerns of unsupervised supplement intake, spawning possibilities of antagonistic interactions like, for instance, calcium from a multi-mineral supplement might obstruct the absorption of iron. 

According to a survey by research firm Pronto Consult in September 2023, nutraceuticals accounted for 31% of all billings at chemists, of nearly 13,000 bills across 15 cities with a substantial portion of sales occurring over the counter. However, concerns linger regarding potential interactions between nutrients and drugs, prompting the FSSAI to consider more stringent regulations. Observing the growing trend in the use of these supplements particularly among health-conscious consumers, a senior FSSAI official emphasized the need to bolster safety standards to uphold consumer safety.

Ever since the regulations were first implemented in 2018, the FSSAI has made several changes and amendments to them, the latest being in 2022. These regulations cover 8 categories of products such as health supplements, nutraceuticals, food for special dietary use, food for special medical purpose, specialty food containing plant or botanicals, food containing probiotics and prebiotics and novel foods.

The FSSAI conducted special enforcement drives last year that aimed at verifying the compliance of nutraceuticals and health supplements. As part of the drive, several facilities operating in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh were inspected and samples were collected by the food authority for further analysis.

(Input from various media sources)

(Rehash/Dr. Vineesha V/MSM)