Composition of food supplements for cosmetic purposes: what justification is needed for the claimed effects?

While the level of proof required is still the subject of debate, it has to be said that many dossiers still fall far short of the standards (guidelines) for adequate scientific evaluation. The European Food Safety Authority, which is now responsible for the centralized evaluation of claims, stresses the importance of having all available data at its disposal, as Anses regularly did prior to harmonization. However, while in vitro and animal experimental data are useful for clarifying the mechanisms involved in the claimed effects, only controlled clinical studies can establish a causal link between the consumption of a food supplement of a given composition and the claimed effects.

However, few studies conducted on humans under the composition and consumption conditions recommended for cosmetic CA are available in the literature. For those that are provided, the...