Economic Alternatives, 2018, Issue 4, pp. 549-565
                Dietary Supplements Consumer Protection 
                in a Global Market
                Luiela Magdalena Csorba*1                                          in order to inform/protect consumers all over 
                                                                                   the world regarding the risks involved when 
                Summary                                                            buying or consuming such products. 
                    This article is a review paper, which aims                          This article intends to be just a preamble 
                to present a global analysis of a real issue                       for further research on the same topic.
                contemporary society is facing: safety in food                          Keywords:             consumer protection, 
                supplements consumption. More specifically,                        food supplements, dietary supplements, 
                we intend to answer the following questions:                       controversies, safety.
                Are the dietary supplements offered on the                              JEL Classification: M31, D18, I12, C10
                global market harmless for the consumers?  1. Introduction
                How do dietary supplements protect                                           s an important aspect of the social 
                consumers’ health and life against risky                                Aprotection programs which must be 
                and fake products? Who regulates the food                          promoted by a democratic society, consumer 
                supplements market in the United States and                        protection presents a set of provisions on 
                in the European Union?                                             public and private initiative, designed to ensure 
                    The international literature approaches  and continuously improve the consumers’ life 
                studies regarding the efficacy and 
                                                                                   standards and safety.
                effectiveness of dietary supplements, and                               Recently, consumer protection has 
                research papers which highlight the dietary                        experienced an unprecedented development. 
                supplements consumer behavior from a  If until recently the food or cosmetics industry 
                medical or consumer protection point of  consumer protection was actively advertised, 
                view. We are interested in finding out not only                    nowadays, the studies have become so 
                if the consumption of dietary supplements  numerous that it is interesting to analyze 
                is risky for the consumers health, but also                        not only the consumer protection related to 
                the perception and initiatives performed  traditional goods and services: textiles, toys, 
                by the authorities concerning the dietary  travel services, insurance services, banking 
                supplements safety and the measures taken                          and financial services etc, but also the sector 
                in order to solve the consumer protection  of some “special” goods/services, like: drugs, 
                issue in that field. In this context, we started                   health care services, postal services, air 
                our study using as background the specific                         transport services, and so on. 
                features of the dietary supplements global                              Human needs have been increasing in 
                market, the regulation of this market in Europe                    number year after year, while the economic 
                and in the USA, discussing which are the ways                      resources have been drastically decreasing. 
                used by the main international organizations                       Human requirements exceed the resource 
                                                                                   needs of the natural systems of the Earth, 
                *  
                 Assoc. prof. PhD., University “Aurel Vlaicu” of Arad, Romania     generating high expectations in goods 
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               Articles                                          Dietary Supplements Consumer Protection in a Global Market
            and services consumption. Contemporary  food supplements and dietary supplements. 
            consumers no longer purchase - like in the          A dietary supplement is a manufactured 
            past - products/services which are necessary        product intended to supplement the diet, and 
            on strictly everyday basis, regardless of  its nutrients are either extracted from natural 
            their quality. The quality of the products and      products or are synthetic. Food supplements, 
            services has become a key determinant of the        also called nutritional supplements, are any 
            competitiveness of producers and suppliers.         dietary supplements that intend to provide 
                In terms of quality, nowadays food does         nutrients that may otherwise not be consumed 
            not have the same characteristics as in the         in sufficient quantities. Food supplements are 
            past, when massive pollution and chemicals          concentrated sources of nutrients (minerals 
            were not part of people’s lives. At the same        and vitamins) or other substances with a 
            time, the industrial processing techniques  nutritional or physiological effect that are 
            have led to decreasing the natural content of       marketed in “dose” form (e.g. pills, tablets, 
            food, creating also a toxic nutritional medium      capsules, liquids in measured doses) (nature.
            for the body. Because of the trend observed         com/subjects, 2018). Dietary supplements 
            in risky food consumption, conditions for the       could be found in different forms: vitamins, 
            development of a dietary supplements market         herbal supplements, botanical, sport, beauty 
            were created, taking also into consideration        supplements, and so on. So, without diminishing 
            the fact that necessary ingredients which favor     the importance of the definitions presented 
            the wellbeing of the human body can be found        above, and even if nutritional supplements 
            in the form of dietary or food supplements.         are just a type of dietary supplements, in this 
            The importance of food supplements results          paper we will consider the two terms as being 
            from their property to complement regular  synonyms.
            food, in order to achieve certain goals: good           The Dietary Supplement Health and 
            health, boosting energy, loss of weight,  Education Act (DSHEA, 1994) defined a dietary 
            delaying aging processes, boosting mental  supplement as a product that supplements 
            and sexual performances, improving digestion        the food consumed daily; contains one or 
            and boosting immunity.                              more dietary ingredients (including vitamins, 
                International literature is subjective in  minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino 
            defining the dietary/food supplements concept.      acids, other substances); comes in pill, 
            This involves the need for raising the following    capsule, tablet or liquid form and is labeled as 
            question: are dietary and food supplements 
            synonymous? Some studies showed that  a dietary supplement. 
            the two concepts highlight the same type of             Generally, there are different types of 
            product, Sirico et al. (2018). Another point of     dietary supplements, like (DSHEA, 1994):
            view suggests that food supplements are just            a) Vitamin and mineral supplements - 
            a type of dietary supplements (nature.com,  micronutrients that serve a specific purpose 
            2018). We concluded that the term “dietary          and benefit the body in a unique way, having 
            supplements” refers to one used mostly in  also a positive effect on mental health. 
            America in order to indicate food supplements,      Vitamin and mineral deficiency can reduce 
            while “food supplements” is the same concept        the body’s ability to heal and protect itself. A 
            and product (dietary supplement), but used  general multivitamin and mineral supplement 
            mostly in Europe. In order to formulate a final     can be a good safeguard against periodic 
            opinion regarding this issue, we have to state,     nutrient shortfalls in the consumer’s diet. 
            first of all, that in Romania, the greatest part    Mineral supplements come in tablet or gel-
            of the consumers do not distinguish between         capsule form, in powders added to water, in 
               550                                                                  Economic Alternatives, Issue 4, 2018
               Articles
            meal replacement bars and shakes which are          protection issue, which is common in today’s 
            used for weight loss.                               global market all over the world. Reducing 
                b) Herbal supplements - they are different      the area of consumer protection only to the 
            from vitamins and mineral supplements  dietary supplements consumption, it focuses, 
            because they are considered to have  in essence, on the following objectives:
            medicinal value. Herbs (botanicals) are  y  high quality supervision of the dietary 
            one of the oldest health care tools, and the            supplements offered on the global market 
            basis of many modern medicines. Primitive               (including the counterfeit supplements 
            and ancient civilizations relied on herbs for           sold over the Internet);
            healing, as do many contemporary cultures  y  correct and complete consumer 
            around the world. In fact, WHO (The World               information regarding the safety and 
            Health Organization) has estimated that 80%             the hidden adverse effects of the food 
            of the world’s population continues to use              supplements launched on the market;
            traditional therapies, a major part of which are    y  high protection against subliminal and 
            derived from plants.                                    aggressive advertisements.
                c) Whole food supplements - made of                 The main goals of the dietary supplements 
            blends of concentrated, dehydrated whole  consumer protection must be effectiveness and 
            foods, sometimes with added vitamins and  safety. As all drugs can harm as well as help, 
            minerals. Since the nutrients are combined in       safety is relative. To use food supplements in a 
            the way as they are in natural food, the body       responsible way, the consumer must adhere to 
            can use and absorb them better. Whole food          a list of principles. Dietary supplements users 
            supplements tend to be much more expensive          must understand and inform themselves about 
            than conventional supplements.                      the effects and legal status of the product they 
                In the last years, a growing number  are taking, to measure accurate dosages, to 
            of people have been concerned about  take other precautions to reduce a potential 
            maintaining and improving their health;  risk which may occur when consuming those 
            because of that they become loyal customers         supplements (Duncan and Gold, 1982).
            of food supplements. More than half of the              This article is a review paper, which aims to 
            adults in the USA daily use at least one type       make a global analysis of the above mentioned 
            of food supplement, the most common being           actual issue of the contemporary society: 
            multivitamins. The increasing number of older       how are the dietary supplements consumers 
            people in North America leads to an increase        around the world protected? At the same time, 
            in the demand for food supplements. Europe          the paper analyzes the international dietary 
            is on second place in the list of the largest       supplements market and the way this market 
            food supplements markets. Growing aging  is regulated, especially in the USA and EU, 
            population, increasing lifestyle diseases  taking into account, first of all, the adverse side 
            and rising healthcare costs are some of the         of consuming improper dietary supplements 
            significant factors driving the growth of the       which are easily marketed through several 
            dietary supplements market not only in Europe,      channels. The federal corporations are playing 
            but all over the world (nutraingredients.com,       a main role internationally, because they have 
            2017).                                              to satisfy the greatest part of the demand 
                Dietary supplements aren’t always safe  coming from the global dietary supplements 
            or harmless. Even “natural” supplements can         market. However, factors such as subliminal 
            be risky or may be tainted with dangerous  advertising, the risk of buying fake products 
            chemicals. That’s why this paper aims to  and the lack of information regarding the 
            focus on the dietary supplements consumer           use and dosage of dietary supplements 
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               Articles                                          Dietary Supplements Consumer Protection in a Global Market
            are expected to impact negatively the food          National Center for Complementary and 
            supplements market growth in the future,  Integrative Health, almost 40% of the adults 
            should the global consumer protection policies      in the U.S. use multivitamins, the most 
            in that field prove inefficient.                    common food supplement. Sports nutrition 
                                                                is expected to be one of the fastest growing 
            2. The global dietary supplements market            dietary supplements market segment because 
                New food supplements brands and  of the increasing number of health clubs and 
            products that promise good health are offered       fitness centers. Vitamin supplements were 
            every year on the global market. The growth         used extensively, accounting for around 
            of the food supplements market is determined        42% of the global market share in 2016 
            by an increase in the consumer’s awareness          (futuremarketinsights.com, 2016).
            of preventing health problems.                          Asia-Pacific was the largest market for 
                The segmentation of the global market for       dietary supplements in 2016, followed by 
            dietary supplements is based on the demand          North America with 28% of the total market 
            for weight loss, nutrition, sports, general  (zionmarketresearch, 2017). 
            wellbeing, immune and digestive health,                 In terms of value, North America reached 
            bone and joint health, heart health, beauty  a 32% share of the food supplements global 
            supplements etc. In terms of value, the general     market in 2016, being the world leader, while 
            welfare segment represents 26.5% of the  Europe owned 14% of the global market in the 
            revenue share of the global food supplement         same year (nutraingredients.com, 2016).
            market, while the immune and digestive health           Latin America is seen as a market with 
            segment represents 19.6% of the international       a high potential for dietary supplements in 
            market (futuremarketinsights.com, 2016).            the upcoming years, because the urban 
                The major producers of food supplements         population and the middle-class consumer 
            on the world market are Herbalife International,    income is rising and the retail channels are 
            BASF SE, E. I. Du Pont de Nemours, Glanbia          being modernized. 
            Plc, Royal DSM NV, Abbott Laboratories,                 The Middle East and Africa present a region 
            Amway Enterprises, NBTY Inc, Bayer AG,              with a huge potential for dietary supplements, 
            Aboca, Sanofi, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline  with an economic activity which is expected to 
            Limited. These companies are mainly focused         boost the dietary supplements market in the 
            on product innovation, in order to expand  region (zionmarketresearch, 2017).
            their product portfolios, to meet the diverse           In 2016, Europe was one of the leading 
            requirements of various end-user industries  markets for dietary supplements. Recently, 
            and to enhance their market presence.               European consumers have started showing 
                It was estimated that in 2015 the global food   great interest in healthy lifestyle which in turn 
            supplements market amounted to 68 billion US        drives the consumption of healthy food. In 
            dollars and was segmented into seven major          Europe, Western Europe is the leading market 
            regions: North America, Latin America, Eastern      for dietary supplement, having a high growth 
            Europe, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific-Japan,  potential in the future.
            Middle East and Africa. Taking into account the         Some of the key manufacturers of global 
            ingredients found in dietary supplements, the       dietary supplements in the European market 
            market was divided into botanicals, vitamins,       include Amway Enterprises, Integrated 
            minerals, amino acids, enzymes.                     BioPharma, Inc, NBTY Inc, Herbalife Ltd., 
                                                                Omega Protein Corporation, Nu Skin 
                The global         dietary supplements 
            market was valued at USD 132.8 billion in  Enterprises, Inc, Bayer AG, Naturalife Asia 
            2016 and is expected to reach USD 220.3  Co., Ltd., Blackmores Ltd., BASF SE, Epax AS, 
            billion in 2022, estimated to grow at a CAGR        Surya Herbal Ltd., Koninklijke DSM N.V., Bio-
            (compound annual growth rate)  of 8.8%  Botanica Inc., The Himalaya Drug Company, 
            between 2017 and 2022. According to the  Ricola AG, Pharmavite LLC, among others.
               552                                                                  Economic Alternatives, Issue 4, 2018