French Regulators Warn Against Glucosamine/Chondroitin for Specific Groups; US FDA Eyes DSHEA Modernisation
French authorities (ANSES) have advised vulnerable populations to avoid glucosamine and chondroitin supplements, citing adverse events, while the US FDA indicates a strategic push to strengthen the DSHEA framework rather than dismantle it, signalling potential regulatory evolution.
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Paris, France — 15 April 2019
France's Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) has issued a caution for specific demographics regarding the consumption of supplements containing glucosamine and/or chondroitin sulphate. The warning targets pregnant and breastfeeding women, children, diabetic and pre-diabetic individuals, asthmatics, and those with food allergies or on sodium, potassium, or calcium-restricted diets. This directive follows a review of reported adverse events, prompting an immediate re-evaluation of product labelling and marketing in the French market.
Industry body Synadiet, representing French food supplement manufacturers, challenges the severity of the ANSES warning. Synadiet states that out of 74 adverse event reports received between 2009 and 2018, only nine were deemed 'likely' and two 'very likely' attributable to glucosamine and/or chondroitin supplementation. This disparity highlights a potential over-interpretation of data by ANSES, raising concerns among manufacturers about disproportionate regulatory responses within the EU single market for relatively low-incidence adverse events.
Concurrently, in the United States, Steven Tave, Director of the FDA's Office of Dietary Supplement Programs, has articulated the agency's intention to modernise the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). Tave indicated at the International Conference on the Science of Botanicals that the focus is on 'strengthening the framework' governing dietary supplements, not 'upending it.' This signals an impending regulatory evolution aimed at adapting DSHEA to scientific advancements and industry growth, whilst addressing concerns over adulterated and misbranded products. Manufacturers should prepare for potential adjustments to compliance requirements, ingredient registration, or adverse event reporting as FDA seeks to preserve DSHEA through enhanced oversight.
What this means for France
French brand owners and manufacturers must immediately review product labelling and marketing communications for glucosamine and chondroitin supplements to ensure compliance with the ANSES warning. Reformulation or targeted product line adjustments may be necessary to mitigate sales impact among the identified vulnerable groups. The precedent set by ANSES could encourage similar cautions from other EU regulators, necessitating proactive risk assessments across European portfolios. Manufacturers should prepare robust dossiers to counter unsubstantiated claims and advocate for proportionate regulatory responses via national and EU trade associations. This presents a competitive opportunity for brands that can demonstrate superior safety profiles and transparent ingredient sourcing.
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