Dietary Supplements document open for submissions

A discussion document on a review of the Dietary Supplements Regulations 1985 is now available for public submissions, says Minister for Food Safety Annette King.

A discussion document on a review of the Dietary Supplements Regulations 1985 is now available for public submissions, says Minister for Food Safety Annette King.

The document, prepared by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) which is conducting the review, proposes several changes:

• Policy options for the future regulation and classification of those dietary supplements that more closely resemble fortified food-type products

• Interim amendments to current regulations to change permitted levels of folic acid and vitamin B12; change the permitted types of artificial sweeteners; make allergen labelling and labelling in English mandatory

Ms King said the regulations were originally developed to cover products that contained a range of vitamins minerals and other nutrients, usually in tablet, capsule or powder form.

"Today, a small but growing number of products sold under the regulations more closely resemble food. A key concern is that the regulations are dated and out of step with regulatory best practice."

The discussion document considers the impact on the regulations of the proposed joint therapeutic products regulatory scheme for Australia and New Zealand. Implementation of the joint scheme is subject to parliamentary processes.

Ms King said under the proposed joint scheme, therapeutic-type dietary supplements would be regulated as complementary medicines, and appropriate therapeutic claims allowed to be made.

The discussion document also looks at the future regulation of fortified food-type products that will remain under the Dietary Supplements Regulations and are not part of the proposed Joint Regulator. A key area for consideration is whether these foods should be regulated under the Food Standards Code and treated in the same way as other food products.

Public submissions close on 3 September. The discussion document is on the website, www.nzfsa.govt.nz, or hard copies are available on request from NZFSA, PO Box 2835, Wellington.

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