Legal Alliance conducted an analysis and released a legal opinion on the import of dietary supplements

Recently, the Legal Alliance Company's team conducted an analysis and released a legal opinion on the import of dietary supplements to Ukraine, manufactured in the United States.

In practice, the question has arisen of issuing an international veterinary certificate for dietary supplements by an authorized agency in the United States. Thus, at present, the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection recognizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) as the competent authority in the United States to issue international veterinary certificates. However, in response to our appeal, this agency reported that it had no authority to confirm dietary supplements with an international veterinary certificate.

Therefore, based on our study of the powers of the U.S. regulators, the team of lawyers submitted a written appeal to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the authorized agency in the United States to certify fishmeal, fish oil and other seafood products. Resulting from the correspondence, NOAA confirmed the possibility of issuing an Export Health Certificate for dietary supplements due to their belonging to fish products. Subsequently, this form of the Export Health Certificate for dietary supplements was confirmed by the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, since it was not included in the list of approved forms of international veterinary certificates defined by the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine Order No. 1329 dated July 14, 2020.

Following the results of our work, the Client received recommendations for obtaining the Export Health Certificate in NOAA, due to which the Client successfully completed the delivery of dietary supplements from the United States to Ukraine.