The Competition Committee has announced the suspension of accreditation for the Agro Kimyo Standart center, which specializes in the certification of dietary supplements (DS).
The agency conducted a series of inspections based on complaints related to the advertising of dietary supplements. As a result, it was found that some supplements share similar compositions and properties with pharmaceutical products, although they are not legally allowed to be used as such.
For instance, Bio Max Pharm received permission to produce the product "Bio Smecta" as a dietary supplement. However, the packaging and composition of the product bear a high degree of similarity to that of a medication.
Since the beginning of 2024, Jurabek Laboratories has had its permits revoked for the release of several dietary supplements resembling medications. These include ORS, Orsi Max, Kifti, "Orsasol," and Fita Orsa.
Representatives from the committee, along with the Accreditation Center, conducted an inspection at the Uni-Chem-Test laboratory, which belongs to Agro Kimyo Standart and studies dietary supplements. The laboratory issued a compliance statement regarding the technical requirements of the product.
Information about violations found in the laboratory's operations was sent to the Accreditation Center. The Competition Committee has requested a legal evaluation of its activities.
The Accreditation Center suspended the accreditation certificate issued to Agro Kimyo Standart in October due to violations of accreditation requirements for certification bodies.
Over the past ten months, the Competition Committee has reviewed more than 2,200 advertising materials related to dietary supplements and food additives. As a result, 328 identified violations were voluntarily rectified, although in several cases, the supervisory authority took action.
Previously, Spot reported that three television channels received warnings from the Competition Committee for exceeding advertising standards.