The International Alliance of Dietary Food Supplement Associations represents 57 national trade associations across six continents. It promotes free trade for dietary supplements and a regulatory framework to protect this.

The incentive for participation is that all companies who do so will get a free summary of the results.

"We hope that all companies who have an interest in this market sector will participate in the survey," said IADSA secretary general David Pineda. "IADSA represents industry views on dietary supplement policies and regulations worldwide, and the more information this survey gathers will improve the data quality and identify significant global trends."

Open until June 18, the survey is organised by the Nutrition Business Journal, but assisted by IADSA. It forms part of a biennial research project to determine industry trends and market drivers.

While the focus is on dietary supplements, functional food companies are also being encouraged to participate.

IADSA has been a key player in the global regulatory scene for dietary supplements, and has been instrumental in gathering evidence to present before the Codex Alimentarius commission in order to get appropriate standards for industry.

Codex, set up by the Food and Agricultural Organisation and the World Health Organisation in 1961, establishes guidelines to level the playing field of food trade. While the standards are not binding, they tend to influence less liberal markets and those without a regulatory framework in place, which has been particularly common in supplements.

IADSA attended the 39th session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives, held in Beijing in April, in order to protect an additional 22 additives found in food supplements scheduled for a Codex decision.