Supplements
Supplements: what is banned, permitted or prescription-only in India
Last checked 10 October 2026
Most supplements sold in India are not banned. What FSSAI's rules decide is which ingredients are permitted, at what daily limit, and where a product stops being a supplement and becomes a drug.
For what independent labs found in actual products, see 188 protein powders tested by independent labs. For other substances barred from food, see banned substances in food.
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Are anabolic steroids legal in India?
Anabolic steroids are not freely legal in India as of 10 Oct 2026: they are prescription drugs or unapproved, sale...
Read more Are fat burners banned in India?
Fat burners are not banned as a category in India as of 10 Oct 2026; sibutramine has been a banned drug since 2011,...
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Are SARMs legal in India?
SARMs have no approval in India as a drug or as a food as of 10 Oct 2026, so they are not lawfully sold; on 24 Apr...
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Celevida GLP+: FSSAI show-cause notice to Dr Reddy's (Oct 2026)
FSSAI issued a show-cause notice to Dr Reddy's Laboratories over Celevida GLP+, reported on 8 Oct 2026, among notices...
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FSSAI show-cause notices over protein claims (Oct 2026)
FSSAI issued show-cause notices, reported on 8 Oct 2026, to Dr Reddy's Laboratories (Celevida GLP+), Nestle Health...
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Has FSSAI banned creatine?
Creatine is not banned in India as of 1 Oct 2026; the claim traces to 2018 enforcement against unlicensed supplement...
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Is ashwagandha banned by FSSAI?
Ashwagandha is not banned, but FSSAI's advisory of 16 Apr 2026 says ashwagandha leaves, in crude, extract or any...
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Is CBD oil legal in India?
The legal status of CBD oil in India depends on the part of the cannabis plant and the licence: under the NDPS Act...
Read more Is creatine banned in India?
Creatine is not banned in India as of 10 Oct 2026: FSSAI's 2022 nutraceutical regulations, put into operation by its...
Read more Is DMAA banned in India?
No Indian instrument naming DMAA (methylhexanamine) was found as of 10 Oct 2026, but it is not in FSSAI's permitted...
Read more Is ephedrine banned in India?
Ephedrine is controlled under the NDPS framework as a precursor chemical (the detail is unconfirmed), and, oddly,...
Read more Is melatonin legal in India?
Melatonin is not banned in India as of 10 Oct 2026: FSSAI's schedules permit it as a nutraceutical at 2 to 10 mg a...
Read more Is modafinil legal in India?
Modafinil is a Schedule H prescription drug in India, not a supplement, and nootropics with no drug approval are not...
Read more Is NMN banned in India?
NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) is not an approved ingredient for supplement use in India: an FSSAI notice of 24...
Read more Is pre-workout banned in India?
Pre-workout is not banned in India as of 10 Oct 2026, but FSSAI's schedules cap caffeine at 3 mg per kg of body...
Read more Is sibutramine banned in India, and can it be in weight-loss supplements?
Sibutramine has been a banned drug in India since 2011 under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, so it cannot...
Read more Is there an ICMR banned protein powder list?
ICMR has not banned any protein powder and publishes no list of banned products; its 2024 Dietary Guidelines for...
Read more Is whey protein banned in India?
Whey protein is not banned in India as of 10 Oct 2026: FSSAI's schedules list protein isolates and concentrates as...
Read more Is yohimbine banned in India?
No explicit Indian ban on yohimbine was found as of 10 Oct 2026, but it is not in FSSAI's permitted schedules, so a...
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Supplement or drug: where does FSSAI's authority end?
Under FSSAI's 2022 regulations a health supplement 'shall not include a drug' (regulation 3(4)) and may not contain...
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