The Prevalence and Compliance of Health Claims on Food Supplements with Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 Sold In-Store and Online Within the Republic of Ireland

The food supplement market has expanded rapidly in recent years, driven by demand for health, wellness, and healthy ageing; yet, the integrity of associated Health Claims (HC) remains uncertain. In the European Union (EU), food supplements are regulated under Directive 2002/46/EC, while HC use is governed by Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 (NHCR), which requires scientific substantiation evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority and subsequent authorisation by the European Commission/Member States. Despite this framework, concerns persist regarding unauthorised or non-compliant HC. This study examined the prevalence and compliance of HC on food supplement labels in the Republic of Ireland, comparing products sold in-store and online. A total of 192 food supplements were randomly selected across multiple categories, with HC compliance assessed against the EU Register of Nutrition and Health Claims and mandatory labelling requirements. In total, 2604 HC were identified, with multivitamins and botanicals as the most common categories reviewed. Although most HC referred to vitamins D and C and focused on immune function, only 80.7% of in-store claims and 75.6% of online claims were authorised, and only around one-third used the prescribed wording. Compliance was notably lower for botanicals, reflecting regulatory ambiguities around their use. These findings highlight persistent challenges in enforcing the NHCR, particularly for online sales and botanicals, and underscore the need for greater regulatory clarity and consumer protection.