Dietary supplements non-food health words

Dietary supplements with non-food and health supplements are essentially nutritional supplements that have not obtained my country’s “blue hat” health food qualifications and do not fall into the category of health foods. They cannot be directly equated to the “IQ tax” and definitely do not have the disease prevention and treatment functions claimed by the merchants. The risks of purchasing and eating are generally higher than those of compliant products with food and health supplements.

When I helped my mother clear out the shopping cart last week, I found several "natural vitamin gummies imported from the United States" that she secretly purchased. I clicked on the details page and scrolled to the end. I couldn't even find a blue hat logo. The customer service also said plausibly: "We are a cross-border dietary supplement. We ship directly from a bonded warehouse and do not require domestic health-related approval. The effect is much better than the domestic blue hat products, and it is also cheaper." ”

This is actually only half the truth.

My friends who are engaged in cross-border e-commerce have also said that compliant overseas dietary supplements are regulated and listed as ordinary food categories in the country of origin. If they enter the country through the cross-border e-commerce retail import channel, they do not need to obtain my country's health food registration or filing qualifications. As long as they meet the safety standards of the country of origin and pass the random inspection of personal belongings upon entry, they can be sold. They are essentially the same as the multivitamins and fish oils you carry back in pharmacies when traveling abroad. This is also the core reason why many people think non-food health supplements are "reliable".

But if you chat more with friends in the market supervision department, you will know how deep the water is here. Last year, our local municipal supervision bureau investigated a batch of Internet celebrity "whitening and anti-sugar pills". They were all non-food health products with no health qualifications. They claimed to "brighten spots in 28 days, and you don't need to wear sunscreen for three months." The random inspection results were shocking: in addition to excessive added tranexamic acid, there was also illegally added estrogen. One girl took the pills for four consecutive months, and directly suffered from menstrual disorders and induced vitiligo. The merchant had already taken money and ran away, and no one could find anyone to defend her rights.

You said this is a problem with cross-border products? Not at all. Most of the unfavorable non-food health supplements on the market have nothing to do with "regular cross-border". They are filled by small domestic workshops. They are labeled in English and shipped in a bonded warehouse, and they dare to be called "original overseas." Either the content of active ingredients is as low as eating sugar, or they are added indiscriminately to make quick money. If something goes wrong, even the manufacturer cannot be found.

To be honest, I myself also stepped into this pitfall in the past two years. At that time, I saw that the deep-sea fish oil sold in the live broadcast room was nearly half cheaper than the one with the blue hat in the drugstore. The anchor said, "We are original from Norway, and there is no domestic premium." I didn't look carefully when I received it. I always felt nauseous after taking it for half a month. Later, I asked a friend to take it to the laboratory for testing. The peroxide value was three times higher than the standard, and it was almost rancid. Since then, unless I picked it up at a local chain drugstore when I went abroad, I rarely used non-food supplements.

Some friends also argued with me, saying, "Blue Hat paid an approval fee, and the price/performance ratio is too low. The imported non-food supplements I bought have purer ingredients." In fact, this situation does not exist - if you understand the ingredients, can check the regulatory qualifications of the product in the country of origin, and have reliable purchasing channels, there is really no problem in buying basic supplements such as ordinary vitamin C and probiotics. After all, the long approval process and high cost of food supplements will eventually be reflected in the selling price.

But for the vast majority of ordinary consumers, you can neither check the ingredients, nor can you tell whether it is a genuine cross-border brand or a fake foreign brand. If you really need nutritional supplements, you will never go wrong by giving priority to the ones with blue hats. Under the little blue hat printed on the packaging, it is either marked "National Food Health Note" or "Food Health Preparation". The corresponding product information can be found on the official website of the State Administration for Market Regulation. The ingredients, efficacy, and suitable groups are clearly written. At least there will be no problem of randomly adding prohibited ingredients.

Oh, by the way, there is another pitfall that is easiest to step into: many supplements with non-food and health labels will use the "SC label" of ordinary foods as compliance qualifications. Don't believe it. Products with ordinary food qualifications must not claim any health benefits. If you dare to write about "enhancing immunity," "assisting lowering blood sugar," or "improving sleep," it is either illegal propaganda or something has been added. You are right to report it directly.

To put it bluntly, dietary supplements are meant to "fill gaps". Eating well is better than taking any supplements. If you really want to eat it, the one with the blue hat is a safe choice. If you have to deal with the non-food and health-related products, you have to know the source of the product, ingredient ratio, and regulatory qualifications. After all, if you eat something in your stomach, you will save dozens or hundreds of dollars, which is really not enough to pay for medical treatment in the future.