Sometimes criticized, food supplements are much more regulated than you think. Explanations.
According to the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES), food supplements are “foodstuffs (…) the purpose of which is to supplement the normal diet and which constitute a concentrated source of nutrients or other substances having a nutritional or physiological effect, alone or in combination”. The health authority refers to Directive 2002/46 / EC of the European Parliament, transposed into French law by decree n ° 2006-352 of March 20, 2006 .
These substitutes are attributed virtues supposed to improve our health. Taking food supplements would, depending on their specificities, strengthen the body, strengthen its immunity, reduce stress, facilitate weight loss, relieve certain inconveniences of menopause or pregnancy. These substances are marketed in different forms: capsules, powders, liquid preparations (syrup, ampoules, etc.).
The authorized ingredients are regulated at national and European level. These are vitamins, minerals and plants, the maximum daily doses of which must be observed. These products are subject to controls by the Directorate for Competition, Consumption and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), as for other foodstuffs.