Food supplements are food products, which differ from normal foods by either their appearance or the way in which they are used. Food supplements often resemble medicines in their formulation, i.e. they are pills, capsules or herbal extracts, for example. On the basis of their composition, however, food supplements are foods and governed by the Food Act.
Food supplements are regulated by the Decree on Food Supplements (78/2010), which entered into force on 1 March 2010. It is based on Directive 2002/46/EC of the European Parliament and Council, and its amendments.
Definition of food supplement
According to the definitions of legislation, a food supplement is a pre-packed food which is a concentrated source of one or more nutrients or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect.
Food supplements are sold in dosage form, namely
- capsules, lozenges, tablets, pills or other similar forms,
- powder sachets, vials of liquid, drops and liquid or powdered preparations in similar forms
intended to be consumed in small measuring doses.
The purpose of food supplements is to supplement the diet with nutrients or other substances that have a nutritional or physiological effect.They are not intended as a substitute for a varied diet and do not provide significant amounts of energy.
Food supplements include preparations for the intake of vitamins, minerals, fiber and fatty acids, as well as herbal, algae and bee preparations.