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Food supplements are products for the increased supply of certain nutrients or active ingredients to the human metabolism in the borderline area between medicinal products and foodstuffs.

This product group is legally regulated in EU law by Directive 2002/46/EC. In particular, the permissible mineral substances and vitamins are specified. In the food supplement regulation based on this, a food supplement is:

"a foodstuff which...
is intended to supplement the general diet,
is a concentrate of nutrients or other substances with a nutritional or physiological
physiological effect alone or in composition, and is marketed in dosed form, particularly in the form of capsules, pastilles, tablets, pills, effervescent tablets and other similar dosage forms, sachets of powder, ampoules of liquids, bottles with dropper inserts and similar dosage forms of liquids and powders for ingestion in measured small quantities."

Since they legally belong to foodstuffs, they fall under the regulations of the German Food and Feed Code (LFGB) in Germany. The permitted vitamins and minerals are listed in Annex 1 of the 2004 Food Supplements Ordinance (NemV). Otherwise, only food-specific raw materials are permitted as further ingredients in accordance with the LFGB and Novel Food Ordinance.
Advertising claims and promises about food supplements are regulated by Regulation EC No. 1924/2006 (Health Claims). A secured positive list is available for inspection at the EU, but has not yet been adopted by parliament. Disease-related claims and indications are not permitted, as is the case for other foods.