A high non-compliance rate has been found in Austria as part of an operation targeting imported supplements.
Results come from a multi-agency control campaign on food supplements sold on the Internet.
The operation involved the Federal Office of Consumer Health (BAVG), the Austrian Customs Office, and the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES).
Internet orders were checked with the help of AGES experts for food supplements and novel foods. Shipments were tested at the Inzersdorf postal distribution center.
The aim was to get an overview of what food supplements are being sent from countries outside the EU to consumers in Austria, to protect them from health risks.
Results of control
From 50 samples checked, 21 were non-compliant with European law and the Novel Food Regulation. One sample was hazardous to health due to mercury findings.
The 21 products were classified as non-approved novel foods, so cannot be sold in the EU.
The high non-compliance rate shows the dangers for consumers when purchasing food supplements online and the need for strict controls, said Anton Reinl, BAVG director.
Some food supplements contained lithium and their status had to be clarified with the Federal Office for Safety in Health Care (BASG) regarding classification.
In Austria, around 450 samples are officially checked every year to ensure the safety of food supplements. Around a third are rejected mainly due to labeling deficiencies such as incorrect information or prohibited health-related statements, so-called health claims.
Other reasons for complaints about food supplements are unauthorized ingredients, high vitamin or zinc levels, and contamination with pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella.
Problem imports
Meanwhile, Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, has responded to a question relating to combating imports of supplements containing dangerous substances.
In her parliamentary question, Catherine Griset cited the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) that had again alerted the public to adverse effects caused by food supplements for athletes.
In France, between 2016 and February 2024, 154 cases of adverse effects were reported, of which 18 were considered very serious. Two deaths were recorded and four people suffered life-threatening symptoms. Some of these supplements contained banned and dangerous substances, such as anabolic steroids or sibutramine.
Griset said labels do not always indicate the presence of such substances. She added that virtually non-existent customs controls made it impossible to detect prohibited ingredients in these products, which are often imported.
Kyriakides said the EU Commission was aware of fraud cases concerning food supplements.
She said more than 1,000 non-compliances on supplements were reported by member states’ authorities within the EU Alert and Cooperation Network (ACN) between January 2023 and July 2024, amongst which two-thirds were notified in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).
This includes 78 cases relating to the presence of unauthorized substances, such as medicines, stimulants, and doping agents and 392 to the detection of ingredients not allowed in the EU.
Kyriakides said that while the current EU legal framework is considered to be fit for purpose, its implementation and enforcement are the responsibility of the member states.
The EU Commission said it would continue assisting countries through coordinated actions and enhancing communication and cooperation through the ACN.
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