Report of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) on the use conditions for certain substances other than vitamins, minerals and plants in food supplements

Food supplements are foods whose purpose is to supplement the normal diet and which consist of concentrated sources of nutrients (vitamins and minerals) or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect, alone or in combination. The supplements are marketed in dose form and, in no event, should they replace the use of medication without suitable medical supervision. They should only be used to supplement the diet and, on the whole, the ir usage is not required if the individual has a varied and balanced diet, which cannot be replaced.   
In Spain, food supplements are regulated by Royal Decree 1487/2009, which transposed Directive 2002/46/EC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to food supplements into Spanish law. However, only the use of vitamins and minerals is currently regulated. Therefore the Scientific Committee has been asked to make an assessment of the proposal to authorise certain substances other than vitamins and minerals in the manufacture of food supplements. The 49 substances proposed by the AESAN belong to different groups: fatty acids, amino acids, peptides, enzymes, flavonoids, carotenoids, nucleotides, polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and others.   
The Scientific Committee has assessed each proposal, analysing the characteristics and sources of each substance, and the nutrition, metabolism and safety and has concluded, in each case, whether that submitted by the AESAN is acceptable from a safety viewpoint for use as a food supplement. In no event is the assessment intended as a guarantee of the efficiency of the substances and the estimated dose.