The marketing, manufacture, labeling, and advertising of dietary supplements are covered by regulations imposed by the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission. If you're concerned about the content of your vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, protein bars, or other supplements, you're not alone. The dietary supplement industry continues to grow due to continued consumer interest in health and nutrition. The fact that these products do not receive the same regulation as prescription or over-the-counter drugs may raise doubts in the minds of many people.
If you have questions about how these products are regulated, the scope and benefits of certification, or how to read a supplement label, here's some useful information to help you make an informed decision when buying dietary supplements, vitamins, sports supplements, or other nutritional products. Statements about diseases or health properties show a relationship between a food or substance and a health-related disease or condition. An example of this type of statement would be calcium and a lower risk of osteoporosis if a supplement contains sufficient amounts of calcium. Nutrient content statements describe the level of a nutrient in a food or dietary supplement.
For example, a supplement that contains at least 200 milligrams (mg) of calcium per serving might contain the claim to be high in calcium. A supplement with at least 12 mg per serving of vitamin C may indicate on its label that it is an excellent source of vitamin C. There's a lot of information on dietary supplement labels, but what does that mean? Four key areas of labeling are described below. With so many dietary supplements on the market today, many people are wondering if these products are actually regulated and, if so, what the regulations cover.
Congress established the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) in 1994 to create a regulatory framework that addresses the safety and labeling of dietary supplements. The most recent regulations require manufacturers to observe the good manufacturing practices (GMP) established for this industry, including ingredient testing. Unlike prescription and over-the-counter drugs, the dietary supplements covered by this law do not normally need approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before being marketed.
The main exception are products that introduce a new dietary ingredient, for which a pre-marketing review is required to verify safety data and other information. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates the advertising of supplements and most other products sold to consumers. Advertising and promotional materials received by mail are subject to U.S. law.
UU. Dietary supplements fall into the general category of food products, not drugs. In most cases, the FDA does not test dietary supplements or authorize their use before they are marketed. However, the FDA may order the recall of a dietary supplement from the market if it believes that it is unsafe for consumers.
To receive industry news, events and training information. The FDA monitors the market for potential illegal products that may not be safe or make false or misleading claims. The Federal Trade Commission, which oversees product advertising, also requires that information about a supplement be truthful and not misleading. The dietary supplement industry is booming; surveys show that half to two-thirds of Americans take a supplement regularly.
The FDA is the federal agency that oversees both supplements and drugs, but the FDA regulations for dietary supplements are different from those for prescription or over-the-counter drugs...
