Raspberry Ketones - do they work?

Please note the Food Standards Agency stance on Raspberry Ketones changed on the 20th March 2014 - they are now illegal to sell until the seller has obtained authorisation from the FSA.
Read more in our Raspberry Ketones update post.

In short there is absolutely no evidence at all that this latest 'miracle weight-loss' product works and it has not been tested on humans. The FSA (Food Standards Agency) is currently investigating this ingredient, which looks likely to result in it being banned as an ingredient in food supplements.

What are raspberry ketones?

The actual substance is basically the chemical compound which gives raspberries their scent.  It has commonly been used by the perfume industry in the past but until recently never as a food supplement.

Human Guinea Pigs 

The claim is that ketones assist the body in breaking down fat more efficiently therefore leading to weight loss. There are many terms that have been associated with raspberry ketones such as 'burns fat quicker', 'slices up fat molecules' and 'weight loss miracle' but we warn you to be extremely wary about this product. Without more testing it is impossible to determine safe dosage amounts for humans - in reality by buying this product you are becoming a human guinea pig but without any safe monitoring! Would you still consider taking this supplement now that you know this?

Will it become illegal to sell? 

It has no history of consumption and isn't classed as a 'novel food'. Evidence will need to be supplied to demonstrate that the ingredient does not present a risk to the consumer, does not mislead the consumer and is not nutritionally disadvantageous compared with other foods it may replace - this is unlikely to be possible and will lead to it being illegal to sell.