More scrutiny given to health supplements

Regulators will intensify efforts to find misleading labels, false advertising

Health supplements, including nutritional aids, are expected to be placed under intensified scrutiny this year to guard against illegal promotional activities, the top market regulator said on Thursday.

Market regulators across China will intensify their search for irregularities in the sector, including inconsistency between products' labeling and content, deliberate efforts to confuse food supplements with medications to mislead consumers, and exaggeration in product manuals of the effects of the products, said Zhou Shiping, chief of special food supervision under the State Administration for Market Regulation. Zhou spoke during a videoconference.