Laura Contin, European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA) Account Director, joined a panel discussion at NutraIngredients’ Sports And Active Nutrition Summit Europe (SANSE) earlier this month (October 6) to discuss the current state of the industry. did. Sector regulatory issues and overall compliance.
As has been the case for many years, much of the sports and active nutrition industry is trying to comply with consumer protection rules and laws, but Contin said he doesn’t want to sell products that contain illegal substances or mislead. He said there are always a few companies selling or trying to sell such products. Information or health claims.
Speaking to NutraIngredients after SANSE, Contin described some of the challenges involved, including lack of resources in monitoring and enforcement and inadvertent doping. She says recent research shows that 10 to 15 percent of her supplements on the market may suffer from low levels of contamination.
Some companies may unknowingly use unauthorized ingredients or use unauthorized claims simply because they lack expertise.
But Contin said new efforts to regulate the market are having a positive impact.
“The EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) enables rapid action when risks to public health are detected in the food chain…and non-compliant businesses are encouraged to comply. You could face costs of up to €250,000 if you fail to do so. na
“Recently, the industry has made great strides in voluntarily raising the quality assurance level of its products, including the adoption of testing and certification programs such as Informed Sport, NSF International and Cologne List.”na
Future regulatory challenges
As part of its farm-to-table strategy, the European Commission is working to improve food information to consumers and limit fat, salt or sugar (HFSS).
This is part of the sports nutrition industry as many products are designed with elevated levels of specific nutrients (usually sodium or carbohydrates/sugars) to meet the specific dietary needs of people engaged in physical activity. is a challenge for
“The clear benefits of these nutrients for athletes have been recognized by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).” Contin explains“However, sports nutrition products may have lower FOPNL and nutritional profile scores because of their composition. As a result, they are not allowed to make health claims, depriving consumers of valuable information.” As such, it does not improve the nutritional profile, and while it does not improve our understanding of sports nutrition, it rather penalizes consumers and encourages them to make healthy, informed choices. hinder.na
“ESSNA has launched targeted campaigns and actively engaged with policy makers to raise awareness of their nutrient profiles and the need to exempt sports nutrition products from the FOPNL Act.”na
Prior to adoption by the European Commission of the legislative proposals on FOPNL and Nutrition Profiles, scheduled for February 2023, ESSNA conducted a survey to gather the views of experts in the sports and active nutrition industry on the impact of FOPNL on the sector. It was started.
“Research confirms that FOPNL, which is based on the dietary needs of the general population, creates barriers to communicating the benefits of sports nutrition products and poses significant economic challenges to the industry.” Contin says.
“Stakeholders have highlighted the cost of redesigning their products, indicating that some companies could face costs of up to €4,000,000 in redesigning product labels.”na
Current legal framework na
Sports nutrition, like all food products sold in the EU, must comply with general food legislation. This includes general safety and labeling requirements, nutrition and health claim rules, and food substance and additive regulations.
In addition, the Dietary Supplements Directive and the Fortified Foods Regulation target certain sports nutrition products with specific composition and labeling requirements.
In addition, there are new food regulations governing new ingredients.
ESSNA has developed and published a framework for tackling inadvertent doping. It explains how products can become contaminated and provides guidance and advice to industry on how to minimize this problem. There is a dedicated web page available.
ESSNA members adhere to ESSNA’s strict code of conduct to ensure that their products comply with the law. ESSNA has also made kitemarks available for its members.
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