Food supplements are more and more popular. However, there are many widespread fables among consumers relating to their safety and effectiveness. Consumers often confuse them with medicaments. Some producers even support this false belief and on the packaging or in commercials, they promise even wonder results – for example treat of asthma or psoriasis, decrease of cardiac diseases risk, prevention of cancer, elimination of side effects of chemotherapy or even reduction of growth of tumours. Nevertheless, food supplements differ from other foodstuffs only in high content of vitamins, mineral substances or other substances with nutritional or physiological effect. The aim of their consumption is to supplement routine diet to a level positively affecting the health condition of the consumer. Some food supplements thus may have positive effects; however, they cannot solve any health problems entirely. Food supplements do not cure.

Year by year, the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority performs more controls which is also confirmed by data from 2007. Compared to 2006, more unsatisfactory samples were identified, more bans on marketing were imposed, and more administrative proceedings were closed (see the chart below).

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority received through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) information that peanuts containing an unauthorised amount of aflatoxins could occur on the Czech market. The notification was entered into the system by the State Veterinary and Food Administration of the Slovak Republic which also carried out laboratory tests of these peanuts.

On Wednesday, late afternoon, the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) informing about a consignment of nutmegs that contain a high level of aflatoxins, which was imported to the Czech Republic.