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Recently there have been an increasing number of cases when food supplements promising to improve your health, cure diseases or other miracles were sold at show events or organized trips or via the Internet. The CAFIA recommends consumers are cautious when buying these products. Consumers are very often deceived and it is difficult to sanction this practice.

Food supplements are various products containing vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs and other substances. Food supplements are foodstuffs. They differ from conventional foodstuffs in their form and a high content of vitamins, minerals or other substances with nutritional or physiological effects. They are sold in the form of various capsules, cachets, pastilles, tablets, pellets, bags with powder, ampoules with liquid, drops or other simple forms of liquids and powders. Their purpose is to supplement the usual diet of consumers to a level that positively affects their health.

The CAFIA recommends consumers are cautious when exaggerated or “miraculous” effects on consumer health are promised at show events. The CAFIA points out that food supplements are assessed only for safety, correct labelling or whether the ingredients or dosage of the product could jeopardize consumer health or whether they can be classified as suitable or unsuitable for a certain group of people, e.g. children, pregnant women, celiacs, sportsmen, etc. Food supplements are not assessed for their effectiveness.

Food supplements are not drugs, they are foodstuffs. Their shape is similar to drugs, but they are foodstuffs. Information that could mislead (deceive) consumers, for example, by attributing effects or properties the foodstuff does not have, must not be mentioned on the packaging, on its parts that are difficult to separate or in documents. Furthermore, statements that the foodstuff is suitable to prevent, alleviate or treat health disorders or for medical purposes and statements whose truthfulness cannot be proved should not be mentioned. The same applies for the way of selling foodstuffs, especially with respect to their shape, appearance or packaging, packaging materials used, graphical presentation and arrangement in which they are displayed for sale. Moreover, ways of presenting and advertising food supplements are limited.

Information on the treatment of health disorders can be mentioned only on drugs. Unlike food supplements, drugs are tested for their effectiveness and it can be therefore specified on the packaging what diseases they are suitable for. Clinical evaluation of drugs is performed by the State Institute for Drug Control (SIDC) and the packaging should bear their registration number.

It happens that dealers on the show often promise miraculous healing powers of a product, however, there are no health claims on the packaging. The problem is that the Act on Foodstuffs and its implementing Decrees only allows to impose sanctions if consumers are misled by information specified on the packaging, in documents and leaflets offered with the foodstuff. And because information on health effects, usually not substantiated, is often verbal, it is very difficult to prove it. Very often, it is possible only to impose sanction for failing to meet the requirements for placing products on the market, or failing to provide proper information when placing the product on the market and for other provable findings.

Recommendations to consumers

• Food supplements are foodstuffs, not harmful to health, sometimes beneficial because they supplement consumer diet. However, they are not drugs and their effectiveness is not assessed and therefore they must not bear any health claims. Always be cautious if someone promises you miraculous effects.
• Buy food supplements in trustworthy stores (pharmacies, drugstores) and if possible, do not go to show events. And if you go there, be cautious.
• Be aware that purchases at show events or via the Internet are risky. Dealers are usually specially trained to manipulate you to buy the product.
• Do not believe everything the seller tells you, foodstuffs are not drugs and it is in contradiction with the law to promote their miraculous effects.
• Database of authorized drugs can be found on the website of the State Institute for Drug Control: http://www.sukl.cz/