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Changes to supplement regulations will protect consumers

23 February 2007

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is proposing to update decades-old regulations surrounding food-type dietary supplements.

The move will bring the laws surrounding the manufacture and sale of these complementary foods into line with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code and provide better protection for consumers.

Carole Inkster, NZFSA’s Director of Food Standards explains: “The range of products being sold under the current regulations is far broader than could have been imagined when the regulations were first set down.

“Where once a dietary supplement was most likely to be in tablet or capsule form, nowadays many look more like ordinary food and drinks with added vitamins, minerals and other nutritive substances.

“However, unlike ordinary foods regulated under the Code, complementary foods involve little or no safety assessments. This can lead to problems such as the lack of warning labels or appropriate advice on the safe use of products, where there may be reasons against certain population groups using them (those on some medications, for example).

“NZFSA believes that there should be one set of rules covering the production of all food. This will better reflect international best practice and ensure consumers’ safety expectations are met while maintaining the overall integrity of New Zealand’s foods.”

Industry and the government have for some time recognised the inadequacies surrounding the manufacture and sale of complementary foods. A discussion paper on the topic was initially released in 2004 and submissions generally supported separating complementary food and complementary medicine regulation. The decision was put on hold pending the establishment of the Australia New Zealand Therapeutic Products Authority.

NZFSA now wants to progress the development of new regulations to cover complementary foods and has produced a new discussion paper called Proposed Changes to the Regulation of Dietary Supplements (pdf, 107KB) which explains how the new regulations might work. Proposals from the initial discussion document are also included in this one. The discussion paper can be downloaded from NZFSA’s website and hard copies can be ordered from NZFSA’s helpline: 0800 693 721.

Says Carole: “It’s proposed that therapeutic-type dietary supplements – those that offer medicinal or healing benefits, including vitamins, minerals, herbal and traditional remedies etc – will continue to be regulated under amended Dietary Supplement Regulations administered by Medsafe, pending a move to regulation as complementary medicines under proposed new therapeutic product legislation.”

For more information on the future regulation of complementary medicines, visit the website of the Australia New Zealand Therapeutic Products Authority: http://www.anztpa.org

For further information contact: Diane Robinson, Senior Communications Advisor: 029 894 2528.

For further comment contact: Carole Inkster, Director, NZFSA Policy: 04 894 2502.

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