Regulatory Guidelines for Nutraceuticals and Food Supplements in India

Abstract

The use of nutraceuticals and animal feed supplements is very common because animals cannot always get enough nutrients from regular meals that the owners or farmers provide. Thus, the feed supplements provide essential nutrients that are widely used for maintaining good health in animals. In some cases, if an animal does not have some specific nutrition in its diet, it may not grow properly. In India the livestock sector alone contributes nearly 25.6% of value of output at current prices of total value of output in Agriculture, Fishing and Forestry sector. India is the third-largest egg producer after China and the United States and the fourth-largest chicken producer behind China, Brazil, and the United States. The overall contribution of the livestock sector in total GDP was nearly 4.11% during 2012–2013. The animal feed industry deals with food given to animals in cattle, poultry, and aquaculture sectors as a part of animal husbandry under the control of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture. Although the animal feed industry in India is almost five decades old, this industry is still in its infancy with high reliance on imports. However, the industry is very lucrative with a large number of domestic players and various foreign multinationals striving to enter into the market. Recently, in the interest of the public, Food Safety Act of 2006 with regulation in the year 2017 is likely to be implemented very soon. The law also has a commitment to Codex Alimentarius Commission, World Trade Organization (Basic Rights and Obligations, under the SPS along with their sanitary or phytosanitary measures as per their international standards, guidelines, or recommendations. Impact of Food Safety Act of 2006) still needs to be seen after its implication in the year 2018.