Srinagar, Oct 27: More than four out of every ten nutraceutical samples tested across Jammu and Kashmir over the past six months have failed to meet prescribed regulatory standards, prompting the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) to launch a fresh enforcement drive across all districts of the Union Territory amid concerns over the quality and compliance of health supplements available in the market.
Official figures released by the FDA on Tuesday revealed that 136 of the 328 nutraceutical samples collected during the preceding six months were found non-conforming, translating into a failure rate of 41.46 per cent.
The findings have raised significant questions about regulatory compliance in the nutraceutical market, which includes products such as dietary and nutritional supplements marketed for health and wellness purposes.
According to the FDA, the high proportion of non-conforming samples prompted authorities to intensify surveillance of businesses involved in the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of nutraceutical products.
In the latest enforcement-cum-sampling drive, officials carried out 168 inspections across districts of Jammu and Kashmir and collected another 146 samples for laboratory examination.
These fresh samples will undergo testing for safety and quality parameters, along with scrutiny of mandatory labelling declarations, to determine whether the products comply with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the regulations framed under it.
The FDA also detected seven labelling violations during the inspections, recommending notices under the applicable regulatory provisions.
Further action in these cases will depend on the findings and the relevant provisions of food safety law.
The latest figures indicate that regulatory concerns extend beyond isolated instances of non-compliance, with a substantial proportion of previously tested samples failing to satisfy the prescribed requirements.
However, the administration has not specified how many of the 136 non-conforming samples failed on account of product composition, quality, safety parameters or labelling deficiencies.
The distinction is significant because a product may be classified as non-conforming for different regulatory reasons, and the findings do not, by themselves, establish that all the products were unsafe for consumption.
The FDA said the fresh drive was undertaken specifically in response to the findings of the preceding six months.
“During the said period, 328 samples of nutraceuticals were lifted, of which 136 samples were reported as non-conforming, reflecting a non-conformity rate of 41.46%,” the administration said in its official communication.
It added that the significant level of non-conformity made a fresh and intensive enforcement exercise necessary across the Union Territory.
The administration said the objective was to assess compliance with prescribed standards and initiate appropriate regulatory action wherever violations were established.
The latest drive also places renewed attention on the information provided to consumers through product packaging and labelling.
Under the regulatory framework, nutraceutical businesses are required to comply with mandatory declarations and restrictions governing product claims.
The FDA has advised Food Business Operators to ensure strict adherence to the statutory provisions applicable to their products at every stage, from manufacturing and storage to distribution and retail sale.
The enforcement findings are particularly relevant to consumers who purchase nutritional supplements on the basis of advertised health benefits, product labels and claims made by manufacturers or sellers.
Although the FDA has disclosed the scale of non-conformity, its communication does not identify the brands or manufacturers involved, the districts from which the failed samples were collected, or the specific standards breached.
It also does not disclose whether prosecutions, penalties, recalls or other enforcement measures have already followed the earlier findings.
The results of the 146 samples collected during the latest drive are yet to be reported, making them an important next step in determining the extent of current compliance in the market.
The FDA reiterated that nutraceutical products must meet prescribed standards governing safety, quality, labelling and product claims.
It further warned that enforcement and sampling drives would continue to strengthen regulatory compliance and ensure that products offered to consumers meet the requirements of food safety legislation.
The findings have brought the quality of nutraceutical products under renewed scrutiny in Jammu and Kashmir, with the next phase of regulatory action expected to depend on laboratory results and the identification of specific violations.
For consumers, the central concern remains whether products marketed for improving health and nutrition are consistently meeting the standards prescribed to protect them. (KNS)
