In the absence of European regulations, a group of 18 countries has worked together, at the initiative of France, to propose a framework of good practices to reduce the risks of presence of doping substances in food and food supplements intended for sports people.

In recent months, people haven’t been able to practice certain sports due to the health crisis. But now, in line with the strategy of reopening establishments and resuming all physical and sports activities, citizens can once again return to gyms and sports halls! Sport also tends to involve energy bars, recovery drinks, gels in edible pods, powders and mixes of vitamins and minerals, etc. But in a crowded food and food supplement market, are there any guarantees as to the quality of these very specific products?

A European standard to reduce risks of doping

To address the risks associated with products fraudulently presented as foods or food supplements for sports people, concerned consumers and European manufacturers can now rely on European standard NF EN 17444. The result of an initiative by the French Ministry for Sport and French sports product manufacturers implemented over more than ten years, with the support and scientific expertise of the ANSES [French Agency for Food, Environmental & Occupational Health & Safety], this European standard has its origin in a French standard (NF V94-001) published in 2012.

New standard NF EN 17444 serves a single goal: ensure the quality of a European market increasingly plagued by the sale of unreliable products, access to which has been facilitated by the ability to buy online, especially from outside Europe. This standard promotes good research, development and manufacturing practices in food and food supplements intended for sports people. It is also the tangible result of a collaboration between the food industry and parties involved in the fight against doping.

New protective labelling information on consumer products

This standard is based on the health risk management tools used to manufacture food, and guarantees the absence of doping substances listed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). It specifies the safety principles to be adopted by manufacturers concerning competence of personnel involved in the manufacturing process, quality of ingredients, compliance by suppliers with a set of commitments, control and traceability of processes and products, and analysis of finished products.

From now on, manufacturers who choose to comply with the new standard will be able to use the following wording: “This product was developed and manufactured in accordance with the requirements of standard NF EN 17444 at the batch production date. ” A statement enabling consumers to be safe in the knowledge that they are choosing products without prohibited substances.