Starch Blockers – MCC regulations

Posted 29 January 2013

Are Starch Blockers, e.g., “USN Carb Blocker”, legal in South Africa?

This is an extract from the MCC regulations:

____________________________________________________________

MEDICINES CONTROL COUNCIL
Republic of South Africa
____________________________________________________________

Circular No : 5/83 Date : 25 March 1983
Ref : CV Naude

STARCH BLOCKERS

It was recently resolved by the Council that all starch
blockers be regarded as medicines, registrable in terms of
Act 101 of 1965, under pharmacological classification 11,
medicines acting on the gastrointestinal tract.

REGISTRAR OF MEDICINES

____________________________________________________________

What this most likely means is that it is “illegal” (Section 2, 3.3) and misleading (Section 2, 4.2.1) for these products to be presented to the public as “complementary medicines” when they are not considered as such by the MCC.

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