Food supplements sold as drugs in State

Companies claim falsely that the products have approval of AYUSH Ministry

Certain manufacturers in the State have been accused of getting licence for their products as ‘food supplements’, but later resorting to multi-level marketing to sell them as drugs that can cure diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure, and body pain.

The Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety, Thiruvananthapuram, recently banned the sale and marketing of Glucosamine Plus capsules and Jamun capsules, food supplements that claim to heal osteoporosis, a bone disease, vericos vein, neck pain, and diabetes and related issues. The action was based on complaints filed by the Campaign Against Pseudo Science Using Law and Ethics (CAPSULE), an initiative of the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad.

M.P. Anil Kumar, functionary of CAPSULE, says these companies claim that their products have the “approval” of the Union Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH). They also claim that the products are Ayurvedic drugs that have no side effects.

“They call for franchisees in districts and hold workshops for prospective clients. Those who enrol five customers would be offered a commission and the network gets expanded. Not many know that the AYUSH Ministry does not issue approval for drugs,” he says.

The Drugs Control Department has a limited role in regulating these products as the licence is given by the Food Safety authorities, he claims.

In the order banning Glucosamine Plus capsules and Jamun capsules, the Food Safety authorities pointed out that the advertisements placed by the companies and the sale of their products had violated the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011. The labels of food products for sale should not contain the words “recommended by medical profession” or those implying that the products were recommended by medical practitioners or were approved for medical purpose.

Illegal adverts

Placing advertisements of such products falsely representing that they were of a particular standard, quality, quantity or grade composition was illegal. The manufacturers should not make false representation about the usefulness of the products or give any guarantee of their efficiency that was scientifically proved, the order added.