The french are major consumers of food supplements : 23% adult and 12% children consume year-round, or almost, According to theHANDLES (National Agency of food security, environment and labour). Faced with this reality ANSES has implemented a nutrivigilance device. It comes to study at subsequent adverse effects of some food products on market. Are concerned : food supplements, the food and drinks enriched, foodstuffs for particular nutritional uses (sports, infants etc.) and novel foods.
Health care professionals (doctors, Dietitians, pharmacists) will be responsible for reporting these adverse effects to the handles, who will analyse, associate information collected and which in turn will inform the authorities and industrialists concerned to take appropriate measures. ANSES will work in relationship with the United States and Canada that have similar systems.
This plan has been implemented to better control these foods because they are not subject to authorisation for the placing on the market (AMM). Recently, a supplement of Yam (an exotic plant) because the liver damage in some people. This was discovered by a phase pilot launched in 2009 showing the effectiveness of such a device. Doctissimo advises asking his pharmacist or physician before consuming food supplements even if they are available without a prescription.
Source : HANDLES
Download the press kit : HANDLES-Nutivigilance - Compl.alim