Ensuring the safety and quality of food supplements is a growing challenge due to increasing product diversity, globalized supply chains, and evolving regulatory requirements. This presentation outlines the essential analytical test scope required to meet both regulatory standards and consumer expectations. Key topics include identity verification of active ingredients, contaminant screening (e.g., heavy metals, pesticides, and microbiological hazards), and stability testing. By applying targeted and risk-based analytical strategies, manufacturers can ensure product integrity, safety, and compliance.

The talk explores the critical role of minerals and their functionality in the production of food supplements. Various case studies illustrate how functionality is essential for ensuring product quality and efficacy. The presentation will highlight the challenges and potential issues that can arise when functionality is not properly established, including compromised product performance and safety concerns. Additionally, it will emphasize the importance of verifying functionality, which is often overlooked in certificates of analysis. By addressing these aspects, the talk aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the synergistic relationship between functionality and essential minerals, and its impact on product development and consumer health.

Opportunities for enhancing healthy longevity and rejuvenation are rapidly expanding, driven by breakthroughs in science, technology, and lifestyle interventions. First studies demonstrated that human biology can be optimized for greater longevity.  The objective is to add life to the years rather than just years to life. Examples of interventions show promise in slowing down or even reversing age-related decline. The translation allows for more personalized care, combined with wearable devices and health apps monitoring biomarkers to optimize wellness.

The concurrent use of medications and dietary supplements is widespread in clinical practice but entails significant risks of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions. This presentation is dedicated to the systematic analysis of interactions between micronutrients—particularly fat-soluble vitamins—and pharmaceuticals commonly used in cardiometabolic therapy. The focus is on drug interactions at the levels of absorption, metabolism, distribution, and elimination, mediated by key enzymatic systems such as cytochrome P450, transport proteins, and nuclear receptors. Well-known interactions are discussed as examples, demonstrating that supplements can either enhance (synergistically) or diminish (antagonistically) the effects of medications. These effects are of direct relevance for therapeutic safety and efficacy, especially in older, polymedicated, or predisposed patient populations. The contribution highlights the need for a nuanced assessment of such interactions, as well as adjustments to clinical guidelines and intake recommendations. The aim is to raise awareness of nutrient-drug interactions in everyday clinical practice and to promote evidence-based use of supplements.