Australia

Listed medicines (TGA)

The Therapeutic Goods (Permissible Ingredients) Determination lists every ingredient allowed in a listed medicine and the conditions on its use. The current instrument is Determination (No. 2) 2026, F2026L00707, in force from 11 June 2026 (Federal Register of Legislation).

• Carnosine is item 1206. Its purpose code is E, which means excipient only. The conditions read: “Only for use in topical medicines for dermal application and not to be included in medicines intended for use in the eye,” and “The concentration in the medicine must be no more than 0.2%” (Volume 2). In plain terms, carnosine is not a permitted active ingredient in an Australian listed medicine. A carnosine capsule could not be listed on the ARTG under this Determination.
• Polaprezinc (zinc-L-carnosine) is item 3968, a permitted active. Conditions: oral use only; zinc is a mandatory component; the maximum daily dose must supply no more than 34 mg of zinc from polaprezinc. Products supplying more than 25 mg of zinc a day must carry the warning “May be dangerous if taken in large amounts or for a long period” (Volume 5).
• Beta-alanine: no entry was found under that name. HMB (beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyric acid) is listed; beta-alanine is not.
• Levocarnitine (carnitine) is a listed active with no conditions. Carnitine and carnosine are treated very differently. See Names and spellings.
• N-acetylcarnosine: no entry was found in the parts of the Determination checked.

Poisons Standard

No entry for carnosine or polaprezinc was found in the Poisons Standard, February 2026 (F2026L00060). The schedules could not be read in full by the method used, so this is recorded as “no entry found” rather than “not scheduled”.

Sports foods (FSANZ)

Standard 2.9.4 of the Food Standards Code governs formulated supplementary sports foods. It permits only the vitamins and minerals, amino acids and other substances listed in Schedule 29. Schedule 29 lists L-histidine (420 mg per one-day quantity) and creatine (3 g), but neither carnosine nor beta-alanine (Standard 2.9.4; Schedule 29). FSANZ Proposal P1010 is reviewing the standard; no final decision was shown when checked (P1010). How beta-alanine products on sale in Australia are classified is outside what this page can state.

Animal products (APVMA)

No APVMA statement on carnosine was found.

Racing

The Australian Rules of Racing and harness racing rules define prohibited substances by their effect on body systems, not by a named list, with a separate named list for out-of-competition testing. Neither carnosine nor beta-alanine is named (Racing Victoria notice 2022; Harness Racing Australia rule 188A). Because the rules work by effect, no “not prohibited” status exists for a feed ingredient. Carnosine is a buffer, and alkalinising agents are controlled through TCO2 limits in racing, so a trainer would need to ask the relevant authority. See Horse racing and sport rules.

Checked 11 October 2026.