THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Food Safety Commissionerate has put its foot down on the unlicensed manufacture, import and sale of creatine monohydrate, a popular supplement used by bodybuilders and athletes as performance enhancers, in the state.
The order comes in the wake of an instruction issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in December to all states asking them to stop the unlicensed manufacture, import and sale of the supplement. The commissionerate on Tuesday urged the public to inform it about over-the-counter sales and sales through e-platforms on the toll-free number 1800-425-1125.
According to the FSSAI, creatine monohydrate is a product/ingredient for which no standard has, so far, been prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the rules and regulations made under it. “It is also observed that some food business operators having food licences issued by licensing authorities are selling food products in the name of the product containing creatine monohydrate. These activities carried out by the FBOs are illegal and unauthorised,” the FSSAI said.
Creatine monohydrate is one of the supplements that athletes use to build lean muscle mass, increase strength and maximise performance. While formal studies have not been conducted, its indiscriminate use has been on the rise among youngsters.
In December, FSSAI director (Regulatory Compliance) Garima Singh had asked the states to keep an eye on the sale of such products and slap notices on e-commerce businesses that sell these products through their websites. FSSAI had issued notices to e-commerce giants including Amazon and Flipkart and also notified 13 companies engaged in the manufacture and sale of creatine monohydrate.