On November 29, new regulations aimed at curbing the illegal trade of dietary supplements came into effect in the Russian Federation. Rospotrebnadzor, the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor), which has the relevant authority, approved a list of criteria for blocking online resources distributing products that pose a threat to the life and health of citizens. This measure is intended to eliminate a large, shadow market segment that has long existed outside the legal framework.
Grounds for applying sanctions:
According to Order No. 768, the agency will apply blocking in four main cases:
- Sale of unregistered dietary supplements: Any product that has not undergone the state registration procedure established by law is subject to prohibition.
- Trade in additives officially recognized as hazardous: this refers to products for which Rospotrebnadzor has already issued a corresponding expert sanitary conclusion.
- Exceeding Permissible Levels of Substances: The presence of regulated components (such as sibutramine, sildenafil, or hormonal compounds) in dietary supplements in concentrations exceeding established standards will be grounds for blocking the site.
- Misleading consumers: Selling dietary supplements as regular food products or other categories of goods is now considered a direct violation.
Prerequisites for tightening control:
These measures are being taken in response to the current crisis. According to data previously released by Revaz Yusupov, Deputy General Director of the Honest Sign system, the audit revealed alarming statistics:
• Of the 32 companies declared as manufacturers, suspicious activity was noted in the majority.
• The presence of active production in Russia was confirmed for only 6 of them.
Analysis shows that a significant portion of the market is represented by companies repackaging imported raw materials of unknown origin or engaging in outright fraudulent schemes. The products of these “manufacturers” are not subject to proper control and often contain not only useless but also hazardous ingredients.
Expected consequences
• For consumers: Significantly reducing the risk of purchasing hazardous products when shopping online.
• For illegal sellers: Undermining the business model based on breaking the law. From the end of November, any resource that meets the criteria can be promptly blocked. • For bona fide market participants: Creating a more equal playing field for competition and protecting investments in product quality and legalization. Thus, the introduced mechanism marks a transition to a systemic response to one of the most problematic segments of digital commerce, aimed at protecting consumer rights and improving the health of the market as a whole.
