Twenty regulators from across Central America and the Caribbean met in Costa Rica recently to debate evolving food supplement regulations globally, regionally and nationally. The officials, from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and the Central American Economic Integration System (SIECA), many of which are in the process of developing food supplement regulations, discussed regulatory issues such as the classification, definition and safety of food supplements.

Organised by the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA), the workshop was an opportunity for regulators to share the challenges they face when evaluating food supplement products, according to Peter Zambetti, IADSA chair. “Many countries in the region do not have specific laws in place for food supplements, or are in the process of developing their regulations. At the workshop there was strong emphasis on the need to ensure the safety and quality of food supplements and the establishment of a system to control food supplement products on their respective markets.”

Other aspects discussed at the workshop included science based risk assessment to set upper levels; issues relating to communicating the benefits of supplements; and ensuring quality of products through Good Manufacturing Practices, market access and control of food supplement products.

“There was broad agreement among all who attended on a need to develop specific regulation for food supplements both at national and regional level, taking into consideration the latest regulatory and scientific trends in relation to food supplements and their ingredients,” said David Pineda, IADSA Director of Regulatory Affairs. “At present, in Central America only Costa Rica has developed a regulation for food supplements, which came into force in March this year.”