Sports supplements face European crackdown on doping
face the consequences of increased scrutiny from Europe, which this
week called for further action against doping.
In a motion adopted on Monday, the European Parliament's committee on culture and education called on the Commission to launch a wide-ranging policy against doping that is today 'taking a new and ever more dangerous turn' thanks to substances like growth hormones.
"The Commission responded positively so we can expect to see it launching a series of initiatives in this area in the near future," Chris Whitehouse, industry public affairs advisor, told NutraIngredients.com.
The motion will also go to the Council of ministers, member state governments, international sports federations and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
"This is quite important as it moves the issue up the political agenda," believes Whitehouse, currently advising the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA).
He expects to see extra investment from Europe to tackle the problem and calls from some quarters to regulate the industry if the problem persists.
"Those companies who do not clean up their act and who are seen to be behaving at all inappropriately will sooner or later be hit by stiff measures from Brussels. Working with the regulatory bodies now will be the only way to prevent threats to business further down the line," claims Whitehouse.
The doping scandal surrounding Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou in last year's Olympics showed that despite increased campaigns against doping, supplements are still being contaminated with illegal products.
There are already a number of laws in place designed to police products that contain illegal ingredients for athletes but the Parliament's motion calls for a proactive policy that will increase education on the issue and seek to promote a clean image in sports.
The sports nutrition sector has been one of the fastest growing categories of functional foods with many brands seeing strong growth as they move into mainstream retail channels.
However Whitehouse suggests that manufacturers of products for specialist gym users, which can legally contain performance-enhancing ingredients, need to be aware of tigher scrutiny if they wish to enter the more lucrative mainstream market.
"Industry must take a strategic long-term view and decide which camp they belong to," he explained.
Also this week, Parliament's industry committed voted for a temporary exemption for sports nutrition products from the proposed new health and nutrition claims regulation that would seek to see them regulated along with mainstream foods.
The amendment aims to leave them outside the scope of the new restrictions on labelling, marketing and advertising claims until the Commission brings forward detailed sports nutrition legislation.
