Marketing nutraceuticals in India: an overview on current regulatory requirements

Abstract

Nutraceuticals have gained immense importance due to their health promoting and disease risk reduction benefits. They are food or food ingredients that have defined physiological effects and are recognized by different names like dietary supplements, health supplements, health foods, etc. Availability of large number of foods and nutritive compounds make India a growing source in the international health foods market. Multiple laws, in the past, have existed for regulation of safety for such products. However, implementation of Food Safety Standard Act has strengthened their regulation as well as position in both the international and domestic market. Food Standard Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) is the regulatory body to oversee the registration of manufacturing facilities, import and export of nutraceuticals. The present paper provides an overview on the current status and growth potential of nutraceuticals in India, regulatory framework for nutraceuticals, complete mandatory registration procedure for import, export and manufacturing 
facility under FSSAI.