THE testing of dietary supplements for illegal substances will begin for the first time in the marketplace by the end of this month, while legislation limiting their sale will come into force next summer, the Acting Head of the Health Services, Georgios Georgallas, said yesterday.
Georgallas said the Health Services were in the final stages of preparing a national programme on dietary supplements and were only awaiting approval for the method of testing.
A new law on dietary supplements has been in place since EU accession on May 1. The law empowers the health services to check shops selling these products and to carry out clinical tests to determine their ingredients.
The new legislation also limits the points of sale of dietary supplements, although a transitional period has been granted.
From August 1, 2005, only registered doctors, dieticians and pharmacies can sell dietary products. All other outlets currently selling dietary supplements, including gyms where they are widely sold, would no longer be able to sell these products, while the athletics federation (KOA) would have the power to carry out checks in such facilities. This gives consumers a chance to seek advice before using dietary supplements.
Market inspections on the ingredients and labelling of dietary supplements would begin by the end of this month or beginning of the next, said Georgallas.
Health Service inspectors will be checking to see whether the ingredients, like vitamins and minerals, are correctly labelled on the packaging of dietary supplements. They will also be checking for unlabelled or illegal substances.
Georgallas said some products sold as food supplements actually contained banned substances and should only be sold under prescription.
One such product is Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA): this is what is known as a precursor hormone, as it leads to the production of other hormones. DHEA is converted by the body into oestrogen and testosterone, but its levels decrease with age.
Proponents of DHEA as a dietary supplement claim that it slows aging, increases muscle and bone strength, burns fat, improves cognition, and bolsters immunity. But according to the Mayo Clinic website, no evidence has been found to prove that DHEA supplements actually do any of these. And to make things worse it could have harmful side effects such as liver problems, facial hair and high blood pressure.
Meanwhile, a three-member committee from the Health and Pharmaceutical Services has been set up to examine applications for the importation of dietary supplements. The committee will also be responsible for deciding whether the products are defined as food or medicinal products.
Products that contain pharmaceutical substances should be classified as ‘medicinal products’ so the right checks and legal provisions are applied, said Georgallas.
