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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has signed a MoU with National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) to focus on collaborative efforts to address the issues of doping substances and other adulterants in food supplements and nutritional products used by sports professionals.
Under this agreement, the two government agencies have identified various areas which can be addressed through joint efforts by the two government agencies. A working group has been set up for more focused work in this direction, as part of this MoU.
Working group“The Working Group will comprise members of the FSSAI’s scientific panel on functional foods, nutraceuticals, dietetic products and other similar products along with representatives of NADA. Representatives of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Narcotics Control Bureau and others, as and when required, may be co-opted in the Working Group,” an official statement added. Guidance on the use of labelling/claims for supplements and special dietary products meant for sports professionals and building capacity of the regulatory staff for effective surveillance and enforcements activities, are some of the areas which have been identified for collaboration.
Five labsFSSAI will also identify five labs, in a bid to build testing capacities in FSSAI-notified primary and referral laboratories for detection of doping substances and adulterants in sports-nutrition supplements and products.
In a statement, Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, said that this MoU will help in developing and strengthening co-operation in the field of Sports Nutrition between the two government agencies. “This would also ensure that the food safety ecosystem in the field of sports nutrition becomes more robust over the time,” he added.
Navin Aggarwal, DG & CEO, NADA, said, “This holistic effort aims to provide an eco-system of safe food for sport professionals across the country. It is one of the significant steps for NADA to ensure healthy and safe supplements for competing athletes.”
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