HEALTH food businesses in the Channel Islands are marketing products with ingredients that are illegal in the UK, it has been claimed.

Labour MP Brian Iddon (pictured) used a private members debate in Westminster Hall to keep pressure up on Guernsey and Jersey authorities to bring legislation on the sale and marketing of health food products in line with European standards.

‘Some of the products marketed by the Channel Islands’ operators contain ingredients that are considered illegal in the UK, including ingredients such as DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone,’ said Mr Iddon.

This was a steroid, which is a class C drug in the UK. Another ingredient was melatonin, which was categorised as a medicine, he said.

‘Another aspect of the problem is that some products are marketed with illegal claims, including medicinal claims. The use of unsubstantiated medicinal claims include claims relating to cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia and diabetes.’

He said these medicinal claims were extremely dangerous as they could discourage people from seeking proper medical advice and so put their health at serious risk.

A spokesman for Healthspan said that none of its products contained any of the substances or ingredients to which Mr Iddon had referred.