This week, a new law has come into effect, specifically in the state of New York, that could drastically change the way anyone younger than 18 purchases their sports nutrition products, especially anything that helps with muscle building and weight management. Despite industry organizations stepping in and opposing the legislation, it is now no longer legal for retailers to sell specific types of supplements to individuals under the age of 18 and valid identification will need to be provided to verify this.
As mentioned, the law encompasses any supplements promoting muscle building and weight loss benefits, and it is worth noting it can be specific ingredients too, not necessarily the category of the product. Say, for example, one doesn’t state on its label or in its marketing that it is designed to enhance muscle building, yet has something like creatine or other common muscle builders. That could still fall into the scope of the whole thing and would not be able to be sold to individuals under the age of 18.
Most importantly, the New York legislation does not include the traditional protein powder, which is more of a food or nutrition supplement, unless, of course, it contains something outside of the protein to support muscle building or weight loss. Simply put, if you purchase muscle-building products like creatine or anabolic formula and fat-burning supplements from a store in the state of New York, don’t be surprised if you get turned down if you’re under 18 or asked for identification if you look in that area.
