Fact-check
Is creatine banned in India?
Last checked 10 October 2026
Creatine is not banned in India as of 10 Oct 2026: FSSAI's 2022 nutraceutical regulations, put into operation by its direction of 30 Mar 2022, list creatine as a permitted ingredient at 3 g a day for adults, and no FSSAI order banning it was found.
- Classification
- No ban or recall found in official records
- Decided by
- FSSAI
- Reference
- FSS (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, and Prebiotic and Probiotic Food) Regulations 2022; FSSAI direction of 30 Mar 2022; re-operationalised from 1 Apr 2023
- Latest action
- 1 April 2023
- Last checked
- 10 October 2026
Photo: Whey Protein Scoop (49935767168).jpg by unknown (CC BY 2.0). All photo credits.
FSSAI direction operationalising the FSS (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, and Prebiotic and Probiotic Food) Regulations 2022
Scope. A record here does not by itself mean a product or company is unsafe or banned today. Regulatory actions can apply to one batch, one formulation, one period or one state. Always check the linked government document for the current position, and tell us if something is out of date. How we label records.
Below: Blacklisted's explanationWe organise and explain what the document says. The document above is the authority.
Key facts
- Banned?
- No. No FSSAI notice, order or advisory banning creatine was found
- Daily limit
- 3 g per day for adults, as listed in the schedules of the 2022 regulations
- Label
- Products under these regulations must say 'NOT FOR MEDICINAL USE'
- 'FSSAI banned creatine'
- False. This is a search phrase, not an order
- Legal footing
- FSSAI direction of 30 Mar 2022, re-operationalised from 1 Apr 2023; no final gazette notification found in 2025 or 2026
Where the claim comes from
The question is a common search ('is creatine banned in India now', 'FSSAI banned creatine'). We found no FSSAI notice banning creatine, and the permitted schedule lists it.
Creatine is not banned in India. It is a permitted ingredient in FSSAI's health supplement and nutraceutical regulations of 2022, which were put into operation by an FSSAI direction of 30 Mar 2022. The schedules list creatine at 3 g per day for adults. We found no FSSAI notice, order or advisory that bans it, so the claim that FSSAI banned creatine is false.
Those regulations set three rules that matter to a buyer. Under regulation 3(4), a health supplement shall not include a drug as defined in section 3 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Under regulation 3(5), it may not contain hormones, steroids, psychotropic or NDPS substances, or items in Schedule E and E1 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules. And the label must say 'NOT FOR MEDICINAL USE'.
One caution on status. As of 10 Oct 2026 the 2022 regulations still work through FSSAI directions; no final gazette notification was found in 2025 or 2026. The direction was re-operationalised from 1 Apr 2023. A November 2024 inter-ministerial committee proposal would move complex formulations to CDSCO, while simple vitamins and minerals would stay with FSSAI. That is still a proposal.
What this means for you
Buying creatine is not an offence
It is a listed, permitted ingredient. A seller that carries an FSSAI licence and follows the label rules is within the regulations.
Check the dose on the label
The schedule lists 3 g per day for adults. A product whose label directs a higher daily dose is above the limit in the schedule.
This page covers Indian food law only
It does not cover the rules of any sports body or event.
This is a record of official orders, not medical advice. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without asking your doctor or pharmacist.
Common questions
Is creatine legal in India?
Yes. It is a permitted ingredient in FSSAI's schedules at 3 g per day for adults.
Did FSSAI ban creatine?
No. We found no FSSAI notice, order or advisory banning creatine.
Official sources and primary records
- FSSAI direction operationalising the FSS (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, and Prebiotic and Probiotic Food) Regulations 2022RegulatorFSSAI · 30 March 2022
- FSSAI direction: re-operationalisation of the FSS (Nutraceutical) Regulations 2022 from 1 Apr 2023RegulatorFSSAI · 1 April 2023
- Source
- Food Safety Bulletin, Issue 1, 2026SourceKhaitan & Co