"Not a medicine." Uzbekistan reiterates rules for advertising dietary supplements.

Uzbekistan has once again emphasized the rules for advertising dietary supplements (DS), reminding advertisers that they "are not medicinal products," according to Podrobno.uz, a Tashkent-based news agency.

The Competition Committee has once again issued a warning to advertisers against claiming medicinal properties for dietary supplements. This is due to the widespread distribution of advertising materials in which dietary supplements, as well as various ointments, balms, lotions, and infusions, are positioned as treatments for various ailments.

The committee emphasized that some product advertisements claim their effectiveness for conditions such as diabetes, stroke, gastritis, cardiovascular disease, liver and kidney disease, arthritis, hypertension, and others. Such claims can mislead consumers, creating the false impression that dietary supplements have medicinal properties.

The Committee reiterated that the primary purpose of dietary supplements is to replenish the body's daily nutritional needs and are not classified as medicinal products.

According to Article 35 of the Law "On Advertising," advertising of dietary supplements must not create the impression that they have medicinal properties or equate them with medications. It is also prohibited to include references to cases of cures or health improvements, testimonials and recommendations from citizens, or claims of the product's superiority over drugs.

Furthermore, advertising of dietary supplements is required to include a warning stating that the product is not a drug.

Financial penalties are imposed for violating advertising laws. Therefore, the Committee called on advertisers and distributors to strictly adhere to established regulations and not mislead consumers about the properties of the advertised products.

It was previously reported that in the Namangan and Andijan regions, officers of the State Security Service, together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and customs authorities, intercepted a smuggling ring for large quantities of dietary supplements.