Sales of food supplements in France have traditionally been positive, but in any case, much less dynamic than in Anglo-Saxon and Asian countries.

However, for the past three years, this market has experienced unprecedented growth in France, thanks to the many young cosmetic brands that are arriving on the market with the duo: cosmetic care + capsules to swallow. Attractive and aesthetic proposals that offer a more global vision of beauty.

However, how can we ensure that food supplements comply with the principles of Clean Beauty ? That is to say, free of pollutants or suspect ingredients? While the legislation governing cosmetics in Europe is considered to be one of the most rigorous in the world, that for the food supplement market leaves little room for confusion... Explanations.

A certain lack of transparency

Or even a large nebula! Indeed, food supplements do not depend at all on European cosmetic regulations. They are well governed by European regulations, but with fewer constraints than cosmetics, in terms of details on the ingredients.

• There is no equivalent of an INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredient) list that gives the precise composition of what is in the cosmetic product. This explains why applications like Clean Beauty or Yuka cannot decipher food supplements. On the other hand, the latter must submit to the authorized claims, by ingredient.
• One of the only obligations for food supplements is their submission to the DGCCRF (General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control).
• Even microbiological analysis is not automatic and production laboratories can sell batches to brands without having done it! (However, most of them do it, fortunately.).
• Recently, the part of the plant used must appear on the packaging, as well as the word 'nano'. Indeed, according to the interministerial decree of 2017: "All ingredients of foodstuffs that are presented in the form of manufactured nanomaterials are clearly indicated in the list of ingredients. The name of the ingredients is followed by the word "in square brackets". Titanium dioxide (E 171), a colouring agent used to whiten or brighten foods, such as sweets and chewing gum, is particularly targeted.

What does clean mean for a dietary supplement?

Vigilance is required

When you don't see anything mentioned about the origin of the ingredients or the details of the processes, ask the brands for information. In fact, most of them have their food supplements made by manufacturers and do not always have all the certificates. As Fleur Phelipeau, the founder of D-Lab, points out, some brands like hers are more serious and demanding in this area with a Research and Development department, which analyzes the support and solvent, scrutinizes the high extraction ratios and the precise titrations in active ingredients. The active ingredients used comply with EC regulation 1881/2006 concerning the maximum content for certain contaminants such as heavy metals and have certificates from the producers of raw materials regarding the absence of irradiation. Finally, some manufacturers prefer not to use any preservatives except natural vitamin E, obviously no nano or endocrine disruptors or titanium dioxide (to be checked in the quality charter). The real plus of these “clean” food supplements: total traceability of finished batches, intermediate products, bottles and certificates proving compliance with safety measures in production.

And what about the assimilation of food supplements?

The question of assimilation is central and often overlooked. How can we ensure that the benefits touted by food supplements will reach the intestines, which are irritated for most city dwellers? That the active ingredients will be duly delivered to their destination? Has the capsule shell been designed for this? Especially since excipients (without therapeutic activity but used in manufacturing) and bulking agents (which weigh down the capsules) often surround the active ingredients.

Claire Nouy, ​​co-founder of Atelier Nubio, confirms: "When we decided to launch into food supplements, we were offered a lot of formulas cut with maltodextrin." Maltodextrin is a starch or starch powder, used as a texturizing agent and preservative, suspected of slowing down the assimilation of active ingredients.

Generally speaking, in order to ensure that a food supplement is clean, two rules prevail, as François Vix, founder of Glisodin, anti-oxidant food supplements, reminds us:

1. The more natural the product is, derived from a healthy plant extract, the more it will be assimilated by the body because synthetic active ingredients have disappointing effectiveness.
2. The highlights of the properties of the active ingredients must have been the subject of rigorous scientific and clinical studies published in international journals.

Finally, it is important to see if the brand has established a charter on its website, indicating the geographical origin (beyond the country, from which fields do they come?) and natural origin of its active ingredients. Guaranteeing the absence of pesticides, heavy metals, total traceability, etc. To be avoided: Chinese components.