Abstract
The food supplement market has expanded rapidly in recent years, driven by demand for health, wellness, and healthy ageing; yet, the integrity of associated Health Claims (HC) remains uncertain. In the European Union (EU), food supplements are regulated under Directive 2002/46/EC, while HC use is governed by Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 (NHCR), which requires scientific substantiation evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority
and subsequent authorisation by the European Commission/Member States. Despite this framework, concerns persist regarding unauthorised or non-compliant HC. This study examined the prevalence and compliance of HC on food supplement labels in the Republic of Ireland, comparing products sold in-store and online. A total of 192 food supplements were randomly selected across multiple categories, with HC compliance assessed against the EU Register of Nutrition and Health Claims and mandatory labelling requirements. In total, 2604 HC were identified, with multivitamins and botanicals as the most common categories reviewed. Although most HC referred to vitamins D and C and focused on immune function, only 80.7% of in-store claims and 75.6% of online claims were authorised, and only around one-third used the prescribed wording. Compliance was notably lower for botanicals, reflecting regulatory ambiguities around their use. These findings highlight
persistent challenges in enforcing the NHCR, particularly for online sales and botanicals, and underscore the need for greater regulatory clarity and consumer protection.
and subsequent authorisation by the European Commission/Member States. Despite this framework, concerns persist regarding unauthorised or non-compliant HC. This study examined the prevalence and compliance of HC on food supplement labels in the Republic of Ireland, comparing products sold in-store and online. A total of 192 food supplements were randomly selected across multiple categories, with HC compliance assessed against the EU Register of Nutrition and Health Claims and mandatory labelling requirements. In total, 2604 HC were identified, with multivitamins and botanicals as the most common categories reviewed. Although most HC referred to vitamins D and C and focused on immune function, only 80.7% of in-store claims and 75.6% of online claims were authorised, and only around one-third used the prescribed wording. Compliance was notably lower for botanicals, reflecting regulatory ambiguities around their use. These findings highlight
persistent challenges in enforcing the NHCR, particularly for online sales and botanicals, and underscore the need for greater regulatory clarity and consumer protection.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 286 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-15 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Foods |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 12 Jan 2026 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 12 Jan 2026 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2026 by the authors.
Data Access Statement
The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.Funding
This research received no external funding. The work was conducted as part of the M.Sc. in Food Regulatory Affairs course at Ulster University and University College Dublin.
Keywords
- food supplements
- health claims
- EU Regulation 1924/2006
- EU Regulation 432/2012
- EU Register of Health Claims
- Health Claims
- Food Supplements
- Eu Register Of Health Claims
- Eu Regulation 1924/2006
- Eu Regulation 432/2012