The Committee recommends that the Minister for Health and Ageing review the adequacy of regulations governing weight loss products and programs with the intention of ensuring that they can only be sold and promoted if nutritionally sound and efficacious.
The review should also examine ways to improve industry compliance with the Weight Management Council of Australia’s Weight Management Code of Practice.
Agreed.
On 8 December 2011 the Australian Government announced a package of reforms for the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to improve the regulation of medicines and medical devices. TGA reforms: A blueprint for TGA’s future has arisen from a number of recent reviews of the TGA regulatory system, which identified concerns with transparency and consumer understanding of TGA processes. These reforms will include significant changes to the way complementary medicines, including those making claims about weight loss, are promoted to consumers.
The report Labelling Logic: Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy (2011) also made a number of recommendations to enhance consumer protection in relation to health claims including in relation to complementary medicines and dietary supplements. On 7 December 2012 the Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation agreed to a new food standard to regulate nutrition content claims and health claims on food labels and in advertisements. Standard 1.2.7, Nutrition, Health and Related claims, became law on 18 January 2013. Food businesses have three years to meet the requirements of the new Standard.
In addition to these regulatory activities, the Healthy Weight Guide (refer to response to Recommendation 3) will include information which will enable consumers to make informed choices about weight management products and programs.