Comparison of Dietary Supplements Product Registration requirements in Singapore, Malaysia, Ghana, Zimbabwe and India

Abstract

Nowadays, diet is thought to be much richer than it used to be. The people’s ignorance of the basic principles of nutrition has led a large part of the population to a non-balanced diet that is high in both calories and fat and low in proteins, vitamins and minerals. This is where Dietary supplement comes in role as it is any vitamin, mineral, herbal product, or other ingestible preparation that is added to the diet to benefit health. Dietary supplements are used worldwide and represent a broad category of ingestible products that are distinguishable from conventional foods and drugs. They do not belong to the category of common food neither medicines nor special dietary products and not intended for specific categories of people. It is very important to ensure that any product entering the market completely complies with the regulatory guidelines and requirements. The regulation of dietary supplement in the five countries India, Singapore, Malaysia, Ghana and Zimbabwe is reviewed and compared.