About 13 percent of glucosamine food products sold in Taiwan advertise health benefits that mislead consumers, the Taipei City Government’s Department of Health said yesterday.
Glucosamine foodstuffs are not categorized as medicine by health authorities and therefore are prohibited from advertising medicinal or health benefits.
They typically come in the form of capsules or pills and are a common dietary supplement that it has been claimed protects the joints, prevents cartilage degeneration and many other supposed benefits.
In a recent inspection on 121 packaged glucosamine products to determine whether the food labels were consistent with the actual contents, Taipei City health officials found that 16 products had food labeling that failed to meet standards laid down in relevant food regulations.
The department said most of the products found to be in violation featured pictures of knee joints or diagrams of other parts of the body to emphasize health benefits and the improved use of joints.
However, Chiang Yu-mei (姜郁美), chief of the city’s Food and Drug Division, said such product packaging could mislead consumers into believing that the product can prevent osteoporosis, provide a source of calcium during menopause or have other exaggerated health benefits.
Other labeling violations included lack of product origin, as well as inconsistent listing of active ingredients and food additives, Chiang said.
Health officials have issued warnings to the manufacturers to rectify the issue or face fines of up to NT$200,000.
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