NEW DELHI: Soon health supplements imported and manufactured India would clearly mention that these are "not for medicinal use". Country's food safety regulator has for the first time proposed standards for nutraceuticals, health supplements and products containing ingredients based on ayurveda, unani, sidhha and other traditional health systems.
Notifying the draft norms, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said on Thursday that every package of food or health supplements shall carry the words "Food or Health Supplement" and also "Not for Medicinal Use" on the label. The description should also indicate the true nature of the food supplement including the common names of the categories of nutrients or substances that characterize the product.
The draft norm said no person shall manufacture, pack, sell, offer for sale, market or distribute or import any package or container containing any food supplement, if the package or container does not bear a label containing all the particulars and requirements specifically laid down in the regulations.
"The labelling, presentation and advertising shall not attribute to food or health supplements the property of preventing, treating or curing a human disease, or refer to such properties," the draft regulations said. According to the draft norms, the quantity of nutrients shall be expressed in terms of percentages of the relevant "recommended daily allowances" as prescribed in India by the Indian Council of Medical Research and shall bear a warning "not to exceed the recommended daily dose". It must also mention the warning or any other precautions to be taken while consuming, known side effects if any.
It further said that the formulation of the foods shall be based on sound medical or nutritional principles and supported by validated scientific data. Moreover, no hormones or steroids or psychotropic ingredients shall be added in these foods. The labels shall clearly mention the purpose, the target consumer group and the physiological or disease conditions which they address, apart from the specific labelling requirements as mentioned against each type of food.
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