Selling Sports Nutrition in the UK: Regulatory Guide

In the UK, sports nutrition products are classified as food supplements or general foods depending on their format and claims. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) oversees food supplement regulation in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; Food Standards Scotland (FSS) in Scotland. Sports nutrition products making structure/function style claims must comply with UK retained EU Regulation 1924/2006 (health claims). Disease claims convert a food product into a medicinal product — regulated by MHRA, not FSA.

Informed Sport (operated by LGC Group, Teddington UK) is the standard for batch testing sports nutrition products in the UK and globally. Every batch is tested against WADA's Prohibited List. For brands targeting serious athletes, military personnel, or high-performance sports channels, Informed Sport certification is effectively mandatory. For mass-market sports nutrition, it's a strong commercial differentiator. NSF Certified for Sport (US-based) is a secondary option recognised in the UK.

Several ingredients commonly used in US sports nutrition products face restrictions in the UK: (1) DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine): Classified as a medicine by MHRA — not permitted in food supplements. (2) DMHA: Similarly restricted. (3) High-dose caffeine: No formal UK restriction but EFSA guidance suggests 400mg/day limit for adults and 200mg per single dose. (4) Yohimbine/Yohimbe: Not on the UK positive list for food supplements — restricted. (5) Sarms, prohormones, and anabolic compounds: Classified as medicinal or controlled — completely prohibited in food supplements.

UK labels must comply with UK retained EU FIC Regulation (now UK FIC). Required elements: product name, net quantity, ingredient list (allergens emphasised), nutrition declaration (UK format — per 100g and per serving), best before date, storage conditions, manufacturer/packer details (UK or EU address). Energy should be declared in kcal and kJ. Protein content: UK consumers expect protein content per serving declared prominently.

• Myprotein.com: UK's largest sports nutrition e-commerce brand — competitor, not a distribution route.
• Holland & Barrett: Key for mainstream and natural sports nutrition.
• Boots Sports Nutrition: Growing dedicated sports nutrition section.
• Amazon UK: Major channel. Direct or via FBA.
• GNC UK: Supplement specialty retail.
• Independent gym pro shops: Via specialist gym-trade distributors.
• Bulk (bulkpowders.co.uk): Own-brand dominant but a useful competitor benchmark.