Lugol's solution is not a foodstuff
Products advertised on the Internet can endanger health
Food supplements whose ingredients are not intended for consumption are being offered, particularly on social media and internet portals. One of the products currently being advertised as a remedy for iodine deficiency is the so-called Lugol's solution. This iodine-potassium iodide solution was formerly used to disinfect external wounds and is now only used as a laboratory chemical. The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) points out that Lugol's solution is not intended for human consumption. The product does not meet the requirements for food supplements in the EU and in Germany and therefore does not meet the requirements for foodstuffs.
"The iodine content in Lugol's solution is extremely high. Taking small amounts can lead to serious undesirable effects on the thyroid gland," explains Prof. Dr. Gaby-Fleur Böl, President of the BVL. "Products to which elemental iodine is added, as is the case with Lugol's solution, are not marketable as food."
On the internet, products such as Lugol's solution are often not offered directly as food supplements or for consumption in order to circumvent regulatory restrictions. For example, the corresponding offers include descriptions such as "technical solution", "not a food", "not suitable for consumption" or "not for internal use". According to the BVL, however, these products are also to be regarded as food and therefore not permitted if oral intake by humans cannot be ruled out.
Background
The BVL assumes comprehensive management tasks within the framework of the Joint Expert Commission and the work on the "Substance Lists of the Federal Government and the Federal States". As chair of the responsible working groups, it coordinates the classification of substances in cooperation with the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), various food and drug monitoring authorities of the federal states as well as representatives of authorities from Switzerland and Austria.
Just one drop of Lugol's solution contains more than 6000 micrograms (µg) of iodine. Taking this amount can lead to a considerable excess of the recommended daily iodine intake. According to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), this exceeds the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) of 600 µg per day derived by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for adults by a factor of ten - see BfR Communication 027/2026.
People who take iodine in addition to their daily diet should use food supplements with a maximum of 100 µg iodine per daily dose. The BfR recommends this maximum amount to ensure that consumers can supplement an appropriate amount without taking in too much iodine. The BVL advises consumers to ensure that food supplements are used that contain only the iodine compounds sodium iodide, sodium iodate, potassium iodide and potassium iodate that have been approved and assessed as safe by the EFSA (Section 3 (1) of the Food Supplements Regulation in conjunction with Annex II of Directive 2002/46/EC). Products containing elemental iodine as in Lugol's solution are not marketable as food supplements.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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