Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has ordered the national food and medicine watchdogs to investigate the regulation of sports food supplements.

Mr Hunt made the request this week after the revelation that protein supplements contributed to the death of Mandurah mum Meegan Hefford .

Mrs Hefford, who died after her body couldnt process all of the protein she was taking.

The 25-year-olds death made headlines around the world this week and sparked debate about the safety of high-protein diets and use of sports supplements.

Read the full story of Meegans tragic death.

A spokesman for Mr Hunt said the minister had asked Food Standards Australia New Zealand and the Therapeutic Goods Administration this week to clarify the regulatory status of these types of products.

Some of these products do not appear to fit neatly under the Food Standard 2.9.4 -- Formulated Supplementary Sports Foods as they lack nutritional value, he said.

We look forward to receiving the recommendations from FSANZ and the TGA.

He said section 2.9.4 of the legislation was intended to allow sports food supplements to be specially formulated to help people achieve specific nutritional or sporting performance goals.

But there were concerns of a potential adverse outcome for someone using the product as a main source of nutrition.

WA Healths environmental health director Jim Dodds, who is the WA Health Ministers FSANZ proxy, said people shouldnt use sports supplements without being advised by a health professional.

He said the WA Government was doing substantial work with the Commonwealth to try to clarify definitions for sports food supplements. He said allowing greater food innovations in Australia had made it that little bit more difficult to control that industry.

Mr Dodds said the industry was always pushing for its products to be regarded as food which had less regulatory restrictions than medicine.

So its about walking that fine line... and were doing our best to make sure (companies) dont overstep the line, he said.

He said WA Health worked closely with local councils to enforce the legislation which included ensuring products didnt have misleading labelling and marketing.

Meegans mother Michelle White said it was encouraging that people were getting a better understanding of the dangers of taking supplements.

Ms White said she had been contacted by people from around the world expressing their sympathies and shock over Meegans death, including a man from New York who lost his sister in 2013 in similar circumstances.

Meegan was unaware she had a genetic defect called urea cycle disorder which prevented her body from properly processing protein. This led to a build-up of ammonia in her bloodstream which poisoned her brain.

Meegans death certificate listed intake of bodybuilding supplements as contributing to her death as well as the previously undiagnosed disorder.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Dr Bastian Seidel said an increasing number of Australians were putting their health and lives at risk because of supplements.

The perception is that its safe because its marketed as safe ... but the opposite is true for a lot of those supplements, he said.

He said the general public didnt know enough about how supplements were harmful when interacting with medicines and existing health conditions.

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Meegan Hefford's protein food death sparks review of sports foods ... - The West Australian