NuFFooDS Spectrum brings experts together to address issues related to sports nutrition and health supplements
NuFFooDS Spectrum (NFS), an integrated B2B media platform catering to the Nutraceuticals, Nutritionals, Functional Foods and Dietary Supplements sector, organized a conference on 12th July 2019 in Mumbai addressing the concerns revolving around sports nutrition. The event was conducted in association with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Health Foods and Dietary Supplements (HADSA), along with the Indian Dietetic Association and the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists of India (AFSTI).
According to a report by International Health, Racquet, and Sports Club Association (IHRSA), global fitness and sports industry is valued at $84 billion with about 180,000 clubs attracting 144.7 million members in 2014. All these developments have started creating a fitness culture in the society that has opened a wide market for sports nutrition and related sectors. However, In India the unregulated sales of sports nutrition products has resulted into a situation wherein professionals like gym trainers, sports coaches without any knowledge or experience of diet and nutrition are prescribing protein products to their students or trainees.
“FSSAI holds much importance to the issues being raised in the sector of sports nutrition. We have developed guidelines to curb the use of prohibited performance-enhancing substances in nutritional supplements by sports professionals. We have made it mandatory for the manufacturers to comply with food safety and standards regulations on labelling, packaging, claims and advertisement with regard to labels, claims and packaging of the health supplements. FSSAI has signed a five-year agreement with the 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”, pointed out Dr Yogesh Kamat, Director (Western Region), FSSAI, who was the Chief Guest at the event.
The conference witnessed participation of a number of nutritionists, sports psychologists, sports players, fitness experts deliberating upon a number of concerns such as the market reality of health supplements, defining protocols for sports nutrition, dietary requirements of a sports player etc.
“People often have a mental block about the concept of health supplements. It is not only the sports players who are in need of health supplements, a common man also needs them. Proper health can only be attained through complete nutrition. It is important that all stakeholders in this field of health supplements and nutrition such as fitness experts, medical doctors, manufacturers and nutritionists should come together and make the common man aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the health supplements”, mentioned Dr Dhananjay More, CMD, Dr Dhananjay More Fitness Solutions.
The event was also graced by the presence of Pallavi Darade, Commissioner, FDA, Maharashtra who shared her thoughts at the concluding ceremony. “Health supplements are increasingly being consumed by a large number of people in India but often people do not have enough information about the ingredients in those supplements that can be risky. There is a knowledge gap that needs to be addressed at the earliest”, she said.