After signing a five-year agreement with National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) to develop capacities at its laboratories to test for the presence of restricted or prohibited substances in food and nutritional supplements, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has finalised the guideline to end the usage of banned performance enhancing substances in nutritional supplements by sports professionals.
The primary purpose behind the initiative is the keep a check on the use of supplements/ products intended for sports person and to provide information not only on the use but also about the labeling and claims for the products.
With this the FSSAI will now regulate offline and online retailers, importers and manufacturers to ensure that doping substances are not present in food, beverages and nutritional supplements sold off the shelf, the regulator said in the guidance document on the use of supplements for sports persons.
GNC (General Nutrition Centers) is the world’s largest company of its kind and is PA is a leading global specialty health, wellness and performance retailer which offers a premium assortment of health, wellness and performance products, including protein, performance supplements, weight management supplements, vitamins, herbs and greens and wellness supplements
In respect to the growing concern of doping and intake of banned substances, Mr. Shadab Khan, CEO, GNC (General Nutrition Centers) India, said, ”At GNC, we wholeheartedly support the initiative and reassure all stakeholders that our products are already in total compliance with the set guidelines. All our products are 100% authentic and undergo rigorous quality checks. It is recommended that every individual; especially sportspersons need to have the right kind and quality of supplements as it assists in muscle building and recovery from wear and tear in the cells. Illegal performance enhancers could be harmful to health. It is therefore imperative for every product to contain ingredients, which can help to achieve required nutritional needs and simultaneously have a healthy influence on the body. “