Australia's billion-dollar sports nutrition industry is at a standstill as reforms threaten consumer choice, jobs and could force popular products to be taken off the shelves.
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A proposal by the Therapeutic Goods Administration could see the reclassification of sports and health supplements as therapeutic goods or medicines.
Some in the industry predict stores will lose up to 80 per cent of products from their shelves and some retailers may be forced to close.
Wagga's Mass Nutrition manager Taylor Morrison said all products for sale already follow strict regulations and pose no risk to consumers if taken as directed.
"We've always stood by and supported regulation as we want to keep our consumers safe," he said.
"It has put us in a position where we don't know what will happen ... we weren't informed, there was no public notification.
"It feels like we're constantly getting attacked in this industry, but funnily enough we're one of the few wanting to help people be happier, healthier and get in better shape."
Mr Morrison said businesses can bounce back, but consumers' choice is at the greatest risk.
"It could take away consumers' abilities to make their own choices," he said.
"The industry will likely take a blow, but I want people to think about how this could affect them in aspects of their everyday life and how it could possibly infringe on their choices.
"Everything we sell is not medicinal, it's not something that is pharmaceutical ... whey protein, is almost like Milo - it's just a dehydrated milk." Mass Nutrition has joined a national campaign Save Aussie Supplements, which is calling to extend the December 3 submissions deadline and consult with the industry.
However, Ingrained Nutrition owner and sports dietitian Peta Adams welcomed the reforms and said stronger regulation was needed to protect "public safety".
"I think bring it on, it's not going to ruin the fitness industry at all," she said. "It's just going to legislate the types of claims people can put on their supplements and protects the safety of the population.
"It's a step in the right direction and weekend warriors and athletes can take these supplements without any risk."
Ms Adams said the issue with food sport supplements is that they sit on a "really fine line", because they are on the interface of food and medicine.
"In 2017, over 116 sport supplements were tested and they found one-in-20 contained antibiotic steroids that weren't claimed on the bottle," she said. Ms Adams said retailers abiding by legislation will not be impacted and the reform would filter out the "dodgy" products.
