Natural health industry ‘held back’ by paradox

Natural Health Products NZ is desperate for new regulations.

A regulatory paradox created by ‘‘outdated’’ legislation is halting the export of millions of dollars worth of natural health products, the industry says.

But while the Government agrees that the rules are outdated and plans to fix them, pleas for a quick-fix have not been answered.

Natural health products include everything from pillbased supplements to deer velvet to bee jelly – any naturallyderived product that is intended to support health. The industry is worth roughly $2.3 billion to the economy.

The regulatory regime for such products is complex and there has been talk of new regulations for years, particularly to match those of export markets.

The main industry lobby group Natural Health Products New Zealand is desperate for new regulations, particularly because of newly strict enforcement by Medsafe of exports.

Medsafe is now demanding that exported products comply with New Zealand’s labelling requirements for such health products, but these labels can conflict with label regulations in other jurisdictions.

Dietary supplements must for example say they are dietary supplements, something that is prohibited for labelling in Saudi Arabia.

They must also include a notice noting the generally unregulated nature of the market in New Zealand, which can cause headaches for exports, reading: ‘‘Under New Zealand law, dietary supplements are not assessed by a Government agency.

‘‘This statement cannot therefore provide any assurance that the product[s] listed meet any quality or safety standards, are of New Zealand origin, or meet the regulatory requirements of the importing country.’’

Natural Health Products New Zealand head of Government Affairs Samantha Gray said this new enforcement could mean job losses as manufacturing was moved overseas.

Food Safety Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall said Health Minister Andrew Little would be introducing a new bill by the end of the year.

‘‘The focus of the work is on improving consumer safety, improving consumer information to enable people to make informed choices about their own health and wellbeing, and supporting industry growth – including exports,’’ Verrall said.