According to a new draft regulations issued in Taiwan this Wednesday: Health supplements must be clearly labelled "non-medicine" and "no curative effects" to avoid deception.
The new set of rules specify that the packaging of each health supplements must contain wards that properly indicates if the product is not "medicine" and if it provides "no curative effect."
Directions such as the amount of the recommended dosage should always be included, according to rules drafted by the island's food and drug authority.
The guidelines also instruct that products in tablets or capsules form should also be labelled "non-medicine and for health care only."
In addition to that, the wording "people suffering from illness should consult a physician" must be introduced on the packaging.
There are more than 400 kinds of health supplements which are available in Taiwan at the present time, including capsules, tablets or powder.
The new regulations are expected to come into force on Jan. 1, 2018 and open for public feedback for 60 days from Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the authorities hope that the new rules can help in stopping companies from selling health supplements as medicine, a common practice in Taiwan over the past few years.
Those who will violate the new rules will be fined between NT$30,000 (about $1.000) and NT$150,000 (about $5,000).
The authorities also added that companies with authorization to sell health supplements before the new rules come into force may correct their labelling during a six-month grace period.
