We all know that natural is useful. And so the word "additives" immediately causes at least suspicion. If something is added, then it is no longer natural. In principle, there is some truth in this. But it's important to remember that supplementation additives are different. Some of them do not make the product less qualitative, some are in themselves a product, and there are those that can be really dangerous for health and even for life. So, nutritional supplements: benefit and harm - the topic of conversation for today.
Definition of the term "nutritional supplements"
"Biologically active additives" or simply dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the normal diet or are part of the main product, which are a concentrated source of nutrients or other substances with nutritional or physiological effects. Supplements can be used alone or in combination with each other and can be presented in various forms: in the form of capsules, tablets, ampoules or similar liquid in bottles and even sprays. In the composition of food additives, substances with a nutritional or physiological effect are proteins, amino acids, peptides, essential fats, vegetable oils, fiber, metabolites, probiotics and prebiotics, food concentrates, enzymes, plant extracts, organic and inorganic biologically active substances, alone or in combination .
What are the requirements for clothing accessories ?
Since food additives are considered as food products, producers and sellers of this product must be registered in accordance with the conditions specified in Art. 12 of the Law on Food.
Producers and retailers supplying food additives to the Russian market notify the Regional Inspectorate for the protection and control of public health, where a separate notice is issued for each food supplement. Changes in the composition, name or name of dietary supplements to the product is a new notice. Each notice contains identification information for the manufacturer / seller and must be indicated on the label. The inspection creates and maintains a database for official use of notifications of food additives on the market.
Learn more about food additive
Food additives can be offered for sale only legal entities registered in the Ministry of Health - producers and sellers. You can request the registration number of the production facility of a food additive in the inspection - the manufacturer / seller will be obliged to provide you with this information.
For each additive, you can order the file number in the notification that was on the market. If the manufacturer / seller refuses to provide it to you, it is likely that the addition of illegal imports.
Do not buy supplements from individuals who are unable to provide you with a receipt or invoice for payment. In the event that food additives will harm your health, lead to poisoning or severe side effects, only these documents will help prove that you bought this particular product in this place. They are also the basis for compensation of damage through the court!
The address of the plant where the products are manufactured must be clearly indicated on the package. Pay attention to the difference between the legal address of the company registration and the address of the manufacturer.
To ensure the reliability of the manufacturer, pay attention to the mark for the certification of the quality control system issued by a certification organization known as NF, TUV, SGS, Moody International and others. This can be HACCP, ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 and others.
At present, there is no effective control by inspections. So after manufacturing, sometimes stickers with false information are attached to the product, and sometimes the product does not correspond to what was written on the package. In case of doubt, you can contact the appropriate authorities and compare the label with the original notice.
Requirements for labeling and packaging of food additives
Remember: food supplements are food products, not medicines. Therefore, they must meet several requirements:
Manufacturers and retail traders are obliged to offer consumers in Russia only supplements with packaging in Russian. It is assumed that the data on the label should be easily readable by the buyer of a country where the goods are imported;
The marking includes data by name, under which the additives are sold, the name of the category of nutrients or substances that characterize the product or an indication of the nature and quantity of some of them; Also, the marking indicates the quantitative content of GMOs and its unique code, the durability and the conditions under which the product, the net weight, the name of the manufacturer, its address and the address of the seller who presented the product to the market should be stored. The marking may not always contain more complete information about the product, in which case an instruction is provided for use if necessary;
The recommended dose of the product should be indicated daily, a warning not to exceed the recommended daily dose; a warning that the product can not be used as a substitute for a balanced diet, and that the product can be stored in a place inaccessible to children;
Labeling instructions can not prescribe or suggest food properties associated with preventing the occurrence or treatment or diagnosis of human diseases;
Labeling, presentation and advertising of food supplements should not contain a reference to the fact that a balanced and varied diet can not benefit and provide an adequate amount of nutrients.
The amount of nutrients or substances with a nutritional or physiological effect that are present in the product must be declared on the label in digital form, since these values are average based on the laboratory analysis of the manufacturer of the product.
How not to be mistaken in the choice of food additives?
Do not buy products whose labels are not translated into Russian! Although many of us know English, when we purchase such "dubious" products, we finance traders who did not do too much to comply with legal norms.
Each individual product that you buy has its own serial number. For products manufactured in Russia, this number must start with L and E followed by several numbers. The absence of such a number is a serious sign that the product is counterfeit. Another such indication, if, for example, when buying 2-3 identical food supplements you noticed that each package has different production dates or expiration date, but the same batch number.
The batch number and expiry date must be printed clearly and indelibly on the label. Do not buy products that have additional labels that cover this information. Such labels can be both printed and hand-written.
In case of doubt, the simplest and most inexpensive way to check is to call the manufacturer and ask about the production date (or shelf life) of the additive from the lot, for example, L02589. If they refuse to provide you with this information or their information does not match the one on the packaging, it is a sign that the product is counterfeit or produced without quality control.
Food additives produced in Russia must have a number of technical documentation (TD No. .....) on the label. This TD is approved in advance by the inspection. The absence of it on the label indicates a product of unknown origin, for which there is no guarantee that it was manufactured in accordance with hygiene standards.
The manufacturer / seller must, at the first request, provide you with a copy of the laboratory product analyzes confirming that the declared on the label makes sense and the seller is responsible for the quality of its product. Look closely at what kind of document you are presented with - it is better if it is a "quality certificate" or an "analysis certificate issued to the manufacturer"! Usually, analyzes are carried out by independent experts of accredited laboratories. Any analysis is issued for a specific lot number, not the product as a whole.
Besides:
All plastic products intended for contact with food must have a safety symbol. Typically, this sign is at the bottom of the bottle / box. Its absence, especially for the packaging of finished products, is a sure sign that the product is counterfeit or contains toxic substances. When the package interacts with its contents, compounds capable of damaging the body can form. Such liquid products should be stored in the refrigerator.
Good manufacturers seal the neck of a bottle, jar or tube, which contains food additives. The lack of such additional protection under the lid (especially for liquid products) can be said, if not a forgery, then at least a very bad level of production.
Make sure that the store in which you buy food supplements is equipped with air conditioning and the temperature inside does not exceed 25 degrees, and also that the products do not get direct sunlight. Do not buy from merchants whose data is unknown.
Do not buy food additives that have expired or expire in the near future. Although powder additives usually retain their properties after this date, the liquids are much more sensitive, regardless of whether preservatives or antioxidants have been added there.
Avoid products whose labels are indistinct, fuzzy or pale. Even worse. If labels contain handwritten inscriptions.
Look carefully at the website for information on the manufacturer or seller of food additives. The absence of the name of the company, address, telephone, fax immediately indicates that it is better not to order goods from there. Actually, the same speaks about the lack of a personal website of the manufacturer.
The above information will help you objectively evaluate whether you should pay money for the following dietary supplements, what are you going to buy. The Russian market is so full of rather questionable food additives, the benefits and harm of which are covered with a veil of secrecy. Do not support negligent producers, exposing your health to danger. Be attentive to yourself, and then you will not have to regret the mistakes made in purchasing food supplements.