Consumer health and safety is a key priority for ESSNA and its members.
As the sports nutrition market continues to grow, so too does the likelihood of products falling foul of the rules. Common cases include products containing banned substances, dangerous ingredients, unauthorised novel foods, or making unsubstantiated health claims.
That’s why the rules and regulations are there – to keep us safe. So it’s important that they’re followed by all players in the sector and across supply chains.
If not, consumer health could be at risk, and the industry’s reputation in question.
For over a decade, we’ve collaborated with enforcement bodies, decision makers and industry representatives across Europe to promote regulatory compliance across the sector and ensure that consumer health is safeguarded.
Launched in 2013, our non-compliance campaign seeks to ensure that products on the market abide by existing EU and UK legislation.
We work with major regulatory and enforcement bodies, including the European Food Safety Authority, UK Food Standards Agency and Member State authorities, to assist in the enforcement of existing legislation.
Since then, we’ve identified, tackled and resolved over 600 cases of non-compliant products, including products containing prohibited substances or making unauthorised claims.
Our campaign has won awards for its effectiveness, and has helped to increase consumer confidence and safety, improve the reputation of the sector, and curb unfair commercial practices.
ESSNA relies on the industry and public to support us in identifying and tackling non-compliant products.
Our members sign up to a strict Code of Practice which requires them to ensure that their products abide by all relevant European legislation. If you have any concerns regarding the compliance of a sports nutrition product, report it to us.
ESSNA considers it vital that sportspeople, at every level of competition, are protected from consuming products which may contain ingredients that are on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances, and which are not disclosed on the product.
To help tackle the issue, ESSNA has contributed to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) standard on doping prevention in sports – the first of its kind. The standard, though voluntary, seeks to instil best practices in development and manufacturing processes to prevent the presence of prohibited substances.
We always encourage members and sports nutrition companies more widely to improve their manufacturing processes and develop guidance, as outlined in our Code of Practice, that helps minimise the risk of inadvertent doping. Such a risk cannot be eliminated entirely, as with any other food sector in Europe, and no company should be making claims to this effect.
For more information, please contact us.
