02.10.2024
How Are Supplements Regulated in the UK?
Are supplements safe? Can you trust the claims they make? Fortunately, the answer to both of these questions is an emphatic yes.
In the UK, supplements are regulated as food products, ensuring they meet strict safety standards and avoid making misleading claims. This regulatory framework is rooted in the overarching Food Safety Act of 1990, which oversees all facets of food safety and quality, giving consumers confidence in what they are taking.
Despite waving goodbye to the EU, the UK kept many of its important regulations concerning food and nutrition. Key EU laws, like The General Food Law, were retained and amended, ensuring that the foundation of food safety remained strong and reliable.
How are supplements regulated?
The Food Safety Act sets forth essential food safety standards and assigns accountability for compliance to the businesses involved in the cultivation, production, processing, storage, distribution, and sale of food. Under this Act, food businesses have several key obligations:
- Guarantee that no substances are added to or removed from food, or used in its treatment, which could jeopardise the health of consumers
- Ensure that food meets the nature, substance, and quality expected by consumers
- Verify that food is labeled, marketed, and presented in a transparent manner
Any failure to meet these requirements is deemed an offense.
Supplement manufacturing accreditations
You’ve probably noticed the array of colorful accreditation logos on supplement packaging, but what do they really mean? These logos are more than just decoration—they represent trust, credibility, and quality assurance.
To be accredited in the supplement world, manufacturers face a thorough set of evaluations of their quality management systems, carried out by respected independent parties. These assessments follow predefined standards, guaranteeing that the production methods comply with essential safety and quality requirements.
This includes an in-depth analysis of multiple aspects of production, spanning from the sourcing of raw materials to the testing and packaging of the final product. Achieving accreditation, therefore, signifies that every stage of the manufacturing process meets the highest quality benchmarks.
At Supplement Factory, we are accredited by The Global Food Safety Initiative, the highest standard for supplement accreditations.
To learn more about what accreditations we have and manufacturing accreditations in general, please click here.
What can be included in supplements?
| Great Britain | Northern Ireland | |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamins and Minerals | Those permitted are listed in Schedules I and II of The Nutrition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) 2019. | The Food Supplements Directive specifies which can be used. The directive has been amended multiple times, with the safety of these substances reviewed and approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). |
| Novel Foods | Novel foods need to be authorised before they can be placed on the market | The novel status of a product is based on the European Commission’s determination and before being placed on the market, novel foods must go through the EU authorisation processes. |
*Novel foods are foods that do not have a significant history of consumption in the UK or EU before 15th May 1997.
What claims can supplements make?
Medicinal claims
Under food law, no food product, and therefore supplement, can claim or suggest that it can treat, prevent, or cure any disease or medical condition.
Supplements are all about supporting a healthy diet and keeping you feeling great, but they should stick to promoting general wellness rather than making bold health promises.
Nutrition and health claims
Under the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation, all nutrition and health claims cannot be:
- False, ambiguous, or misleading
- Give rise to doubt about the safety or nutritional adequacy of other foods
- Encourage or condone excess food consumption
This applies to every form of communication designed to persuade consumers to buy a product. So, whenever a supplement tries to woo you with its benefits—whether through packaging, labels, or advertisements—it must adhere to these guidelines.
In Great Britain, the Nutrition and Health Claims Committee takes on the important role of scientifically evaluating new nutrition and health claims. Once approved, these claims are added to the Great Britain nutrition and health claims register.
In contrast, Northern Ireland adheres to EU regulations. Here, any health or nutrition claim must undergo scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). If the EFSA gives a thumbs-up, the European Commission authorises its use, and the claim is listed on a central register that allows it to be used in advertising, promotion, and labeling of food products.
Written by Supplement Factory
Our team of industry experts not only work towards producing the highest standards of sports and health nutrition products, but also lend their knowledge towards educating the industry on the latest advances in products, ingredients and formulations.
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