Food supplements - facts and information needed instead of uncertainty
The Food Supplements Working Group (AK NEM) in the German Food Association has criticized the survey on food supplements published by the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) as biased and not very useful. Managing Director Peter Loosen explains: "The vzbv survey clearly shows how biased questions lead to the desired results. Of course consumers want safety tests - who doesn't? What is not mentioned in the survey: These checks are already being carried out, and by the companies themselves under legal supervision. What's more, the claim that consumers feel inadequately informed about health risks is a misnomer. Where there are no risks, there can be no information about them. Rather, product-specific consumer information ensures that products can be used safely. The vzbv's statements ignore essential facts and thus contribute to consumer uncertainty rather than providing information."
As foodstuffs, food supplements are subject to the same legal safety requirements as all other foodstuffs, as unsafe foodstuffs may not be placed on the market in the first place. Unlike medicines, which can potentially have significant side effects, food supplements are designed for daily, lifelong consumption. The vzbv's claim that pharmaceuticals are better regulated is false - they are simply regulated differently.
- Safety testing is guaranteed: Approval is granted for foods at the substance level. For example, all vitamins and minerals used in food supplements, as well as herbal ingredients that have not traditionally been used in food, are tested and approved for safety by European legislators. It is therefore simply wrong to claim that no safety testing takes place.
- Effect - clearly defined and proven: Food supplements have a clear purpose: to supplement the diet with nutrients. All food supplements fulfill this function without exception. They may only be advertised within the narrow framework of the Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims - in compliance with the general prohibition of misleading statements. The claim that they are advertised as "miracle cures" is simply inaccurate with regard to all products from reputable suppliers in Germany and throughout the EU.
- Inadequate supply in Germany in some cases: It has been proven that not all people in Germany and the EU have an adequate supply of all important vitamins and minerals. This was the reason for the adoption of the EU Food Supplements Directive over 20 years ago, and nothing has changed. The vzbv claim that this is not the case contradicts the results of the National Consumption Study II, which proves exactly the opposite.
- Standardized maximum quantities are coming: Consultations on setting Europe-wide maximum levels for vitamins and minerals are nearing completion. These regulations will ensure uniform standards throughout Europe and further improve safety.
Actual problems lie elsewhere
The demand for stricter laws or mandatory approval for food supplements fails to recognize the actual challenges. Peter Loosen emphasizes: "Illegal behavior in online trade by dubious providers with unlawful compositions, unlawful advertising and misleading statements, including by influencers, are the real problems that need to be solved. To this end, it is important to provide consumers with accurate information and to enable them to distinguish between reputable and dubious providers and products, especially online. Campaigns that portray all dietary supplements and their manufacturers as equally problematic, even though they are demonstrably not, do not contribute to this."
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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