President Vladimir Putin has signed a law targeting the sale of unregistered dietary supplements in Russia, aiming to enhance consumer safety and regulatory oversight. The law, which also encompasses various other significant changes, addresses concerns regarding product labeling and traceability within the dietary supplement market.

The legislation allows for the blocking of websites that offer unregistered biologically active additives (BAA) for sale. This measure will target products lacking proper labeling or those with untraceable pathways to the market, effectively adding them to a register of prohibited items. Rospotrebnadzor, the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, will be responsible for identifying and flagging information related to the sale of non-compliant dietary supplements.

The new law clarifies that doctors can still prescribe registered drugs that meet quality and safety standards in accordance with Russian law. It also emphasizes that dietary supplements produced in Russia must adhere to government-set criteria for quality and effectiveness, as well as the technical regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union. The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with Rospotrebnadzor, will maintain and approve the list of permissible dietary supplements and their intended uses.

To prevent conflicts of interest and ensure unbiased recommendations, the law prohibits medical professionals from entering into agreements with dietary supplement manufacturers to promote their products. It also bars them from accepting samples from company representatives.