Dietary supplement rules set to be shaken up

A proposed revamp of regulations covering dietary supplements may make it to Parliament next year, Food Safety Authority adviser Ursula Egan says.

The rejig and development of a standard for "supplemented food" is expected to shake up the multi-billion dollar industry which has built up around dietary supplements.

"We propose to amend the dietary supplement regulations and to have a new supplemented food standard," Ms Egan said.

This meant the current dietary supplement regulations would be changed to cover therapeutic-type products in capsules or powders targeted to health benefits rather than nutrition.

The new supplemented food standard will pick up some sports foods and others with higher levels of vitamins and minerals, and some other added nutrients not permitted in the food standards code.

She said the Health Ministry started working on the law changes a decade ago and the authority had been working with it for the past four years.

"We are hopeful that it will come to fruition early next year," said Ms Egan, who noted similar hopes had been expressed before.

The present food code did not adequately cover foods sold as dietary supplements.

- NZPA