Relief has been shared as it was confirmed the widely used supplement ingredient MSM will not be added to the FEI equine prohibited substances list (EPSL).
Earlier this year MSM (methyl sulphonyl methane) was listed by the FEI as a proposed controlled medication and specified substance for the 2024 EPSL. MSM is an organic compound that occurs naturally in plants such as maize, oats, apples, and alfalfa. It is an internationally recognised feed material, commonly used in equine diets at up to 25g a day to horses competing under FEI rules, without regulatory incident. MSM was listed as a controlled medication from 2011 until it was delisted at the end of 2017.
Following the proposal the British Equestrian Trade Association’s (BETA) feed committee, via British Equestrian, put forward evidence to the FEI “justifying MSM’s continued unlisted status”. A BETA spokesman told H&H the FEI proposal indicated a concern that MSM can convert to controlled medication DMSO, but BETA “does not believe there is evidence to show this is a risk in mammals”.
BETA stated that in addition to direct transfer from plant-based diets, “metabolic pathways show MSM can be formed via metabolism of methionine which, as an essential, indispensable, amino acid is required in the diet of all equines – and given that MSM is both natural and ubiquitous to the equine diet, riders are not able to avoid its presence in their horses’ diets, and listing on the EPSL could have led to regulatory issues without pure MSM having been fed.”
BETA executive director Claire Williams said the BETA feed committee provided “extensive technical evidence” to support the association’s beliefs that “defining MSM in this way could have had a significant and potentially negative impact on both equine welfare and the industry”.
“We are delighted that our challenge proved compelling enough for the FEI to reconsider its decision and change the list,” she said.
“We are immensely relieved that the proposed listing of MSM has been dropped and that the current status of ‘unlisted’ is maintained. It allows riders competing under FEI rules continued access to this important ingredient that plays a supportive role in protecting the sport horse from exercise-related oxidative damage.”
Supplement manufacturer NAF shared BETA’s relief.
“As members of the BETA feed committee, we are delighted that the FEI took our robust and evidence-led feedback to their original proposal into consideration and as a result, have not listed MSM,” a NAF spokesman told H&H.
An FEI spokesman confirmed to H&H that the proposal to relist MSM as a controlled medication was withdrawn, and it will not be on the 2024 EPSL.
“As a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the FEI must follow the WADA policy on this matter. As all the discussions around the list group are to remain confidential, we cannot share more details at this moment,” he said.
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