VITAMINS AND MINERALS
For Vitamins and Minerals, the maximum daily doses for adults can be found in Regulation 3 of the Dietary Supplements Regulations.
(i) Minerals:
- Copper: 5 mg
- Iron: 24mg
- Selenium: 150mcg
- Zinc: 15mg
(ii) Vitamins
- Vitamin A (retinol): 3000mcg
- Niacin or nicotinic acid: 100mg
- Vitamin B12 or cyanocobalamin or hydroxocobalamin: 50mcg
- Vitamin D: 25mcg
- Folic Acid: 500mcg if the Director-General of Health has confirmed that the product has been prepared in a way that is in accordance with the New Zealand Code of Good Manufacturing Practice for Manufacture and Distribution of Therapeutic Goods. 300mcg if the Director General of health has not confirmed this.
PROBIOTICS
In New Zealand, probiotics are treated as "functional foods" rather than drugs. Producers making health claims need to supply scientific evidence, but they can do their own trials and no independent verification is required.
ENERGY DRINKS
Energy drinks in New Zealand must comply with the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code 2.6.4 Formulated Caffeinated Beverages.
According to these standards, energy drinks must not contain more than 32mg of caffeine per 100ml (maximum of 80mg of caffeine in a 250ml energy drink serving).
Energy drinks need to include labelling with caffeine warnings, recommended daily usage declarations, and include advisory statements that the products is not suitable for children, pregnant or lactating women.
PRESERVATIVES
Defined as “any substance that, when added to a dietary supplement, has the property of arresting or impeding fermentation, putrefaction, or decomposition. » (regulation 13 DSR 1985)
Dietary supplements may contain any of the following preservatives:
(i) benzoic acid or sodium benzoate; parahydroxybenzoic acid and its esters; sorbic acid, or its sodium, calcium, or potassium salts; sulphur dioxide, or sulphites calculated as sulphur dioxide
ANTIOXIDANTS
Defined as “substance that, when added to a dietary supplement, has the property of arresting or retarding oxidative rancidity. » (regulation 14 DSR 1985)
Dietary supplements may contain any of the following antioxidants:
(i) propyl gallate, dodecyl gallate, octyl gallate, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), where the proportion of those antioxidants, singly or in combination, does not exceed 100 ppm:
(ii) ascorbyl palmitate, and ascorbyl stearate, where the proportion of those antioxidants, singly or in combination, does not exceed 500 ppm:
(iii) natural tocopherols, synthetic tocopherols, citric acid, and sodium citrate:
(iv) isopropyl citrate mixture, monoglyceride citrate, and phosphoric acid, where the proportion of those antioxidants, whether singly or in combination, does not exceed 100 ppm.
COULOURING SUBSTANCES
Defined as “substance that, when added or applied to a dietary supplement, is capable of imparting colour to that dietary supplement. » (regulation 15 of DSR 1985)
Authorised Colouring substances in dietary supplements are specified in a table present in regulation 15 of DSR 1985.
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
Defined as “substance that when added to a dietary supplement, is capable of imparting sweetness to that dietary supplement, and that is not a saccharide, polyhydric alcohol, or honey” (regulation 16 DSR 1985)
Authorised artificial sweeteners in Dietary Supplements are the following:
(i) Aspartame; saccharin and its sodium, and calcium and ammonium compounds; sodium cyclamate and calcium cyclamate.
FLAVOURING SUBSTANCES
Defined as « wholesome substance that, when added or applied to a dietary supplement, is capable of imparting flavours to, or enhancing flavours in, that dietary supplement. » (regulation 17 DSR 1985)
Any flavouring is authorised in Dietary Supplements except for the following:
(i) cade oil ; coumarin ; nitrobenzene ; pyroligneous acid ; safrole and isosafrole ; sassafras oil.