Which substances are banned in Swiss supplements?

Which substances are concretely banned in food supplements?

Which synthetic chemical substances are prohibited?

Four synthetic chemical substances are strictly banned in Swiss food supplements: 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), dimethylhexanamine (DMAA), SARMs and ibutamoren (MK-677).^[1] These compounds fall under the list of ingredients banned by Annex 4 of the OAVMS or the list of doping substances annexed to the Federal Sports Promotion Ordinance (SPO). DNP is an industrial chemical that causes severe, potentially fatal poisonings, with a toxicological profile that remains worrying; the FSVO advises against any consumption, in any form, and sets out this information in a dedicated information letter.^[1] DMAA, a stimulant used for weight loss or to improve athletic performance, appears on the doping-products list because of its severe cardiovascular effects. SARMs (selective androgen receptor modulators) and MK-677, a growth-hormone secretagogue, are the new generation of molecules popular in certain amateur sporting circles: Swiss Sport Integrity has particularly flagged them in its 2025 report for their cardiac, hepatic and psychiatric risks.^[2]

Which hormonal substances and plants are prohibited?

Four additional categories complete the list of bans: DHEA and melatonin fall under the medicine regime (prescription required),^[4] red yeast rice and senna are banned as foodstuffs,^[1] and aristolochic acid, of plant origin, appears on list A of prohibited plants in Annex 1 of the OPFA.^[3] Melatonin is only authorised as a prescription medicine in Switzerland, in the form of extended-release tablets Circadin® and generics, available for patients aged 55 and over.^[4] DHEA follows the same logic: only one medicine authorised by Swissmedic, as vaginal ovules. Red yeast rice (Monascus purpureus), a fermentation product of rice by a microscopic mould of the Monascus genus, was the subject of a joint Swissmedic/FSVO notice on 12 March 2014 declaring its marketing unlawful, before being formally entered in Annex 4 of the OAVMS when the revised food law came into force on 1 May 2017; its monacolin K acts like a statin and may lead to liver and muscle damage. Swissmedic confirmed in its factsheet of 15 January 2026 that its marketing remains unlawful, both as a foodstuff and as a medicine.^[5] Titanium dioxide (E171), a white colouring additive sometimes containing nanoparticles, completes this inventory with a ban effective since 15 March 2022.^[6]

On which legal basis do these bans rest?

What do the FSUAO, Annex 4 of the OAVMS and the OPFA say?

Three federal ordinances structure Swiss legislation governing substances in food supplements. Article 2 paragraph 4 of the FDHA Ordinance on Food Supplements (FSUAO, SR 817.022.14) refers to Annex 4 of the OAVMS and expressly declares the substances listed there banned.^[7] Article 3 of the OPFA prohibits the food use of plants listed in Annex 1. Annex 4 of the OAVMS groups together pharmacologically active or toxicologically concerning substances — DNP, DMAA, red yeast rice and sennosides in particular.^[8] Annex 1 of the OPFA lists two categories: list A groups plants banned because of their toxicity, list B those subject to strict restrictions, as opposed to ingredients authorised under precise conditions.^[3] These lists are described as non-exhaustive by the FSVO: an unlisted substance — whether a vitamin, minerals, an alga or another extract — may still be challenged if it qualifies as a novel food or if it has a pharmacological effect under the legal criteria set by Swissmedic.

How do the foodstuff and medicine regimes overlap?

The boundary between food supplement and medicine determines the competent authority at the placing-on-the-market stage. The FSVO (Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office) handles foodstuffs, Swissmedic handles medicines and medical devices. A substance may shift from the second regime to the first as soon as it exerts a pharmacological or therapeutic effect under the definition of the Therapeutic Products Act (TPA, SR 812.21).^[9] This duality explains the particular status of melatonin and DHEA: neither appears in Annex 4 of the OAVMS, yet neither can enter the composition of a food supplement sold on the Swiss market. Their status as medicines subject to marketing authorisation, via a separate Swissmedic authorisation procedure, and to prescription rules them out of the food sphere in practice.^[4] Added to this, for DHEA and DMAA, is the Federal Sports Promotion Ordinance (SPO), which qualifies these substances as doping products: importation is then banned with no quantitative allowance, including for non-athletes, whether through an everyday online purchase or a shipment between private individuals.^[2]

How many banned products are seized each year in Switzerland?

What do the 2024-2025 figures from the FOCBS, Swissmedic and Swiss Sport Integrity say?

The three authorities converge on the same finding: seizures are rising. Swissmedic received 6,647 consignment notifications in 2025, of which 12% concerned hormones (including melatonin), compared with 4% in 2024 — a tripling in twelve months.^[10] Swiss Sport Integrity reports 1,282 seizures of doping products in 2025, after an unprecedented drop in 2024.^[2] In 2024, the Association of Cantonal Chemists of Switzerland conducted a national control survey targeting 127 food supplements bought from Swiss and Liechtenstein online shops; the sale was banned for 89% of the samples because of prohibited ingredients or ingredients subject to authorisation.^[11] This proportion gives the measure of the risk for a consumer who buys without verifying the compliance of the supplier, and underlines the importance of consulting a healthcare professional before any purchase.

Which emerging substances are the most seized?

Three families dominate the latest seizures: erection inducers (41% of Swissmedic consignments in 2025), hair-loss medicines (19%, compared with 4% in 2024) and hormones including melatonin (12%).^[10] Close to 40% of the illegal consignments seized in 2025 came from Western Europe, mainly from France and Germany — the share originating from Eastern Europe and India has been falling sharply for four years.^[10] SARMs and ibutamoren (MK-677) are spreading rapidly via social media, where they are promoted as anti-ageing alternatives or recovery stimulants.^[2] The Federal Council plans to strengthen the control of online trade by requiring a Swiss contact point for shops operating in .ch, so that any e-commerce site can respond to a request from the authorities.^[12]

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