The article presented an inaccurate impression regarding the nutritional supplement industry. Despite heavy costs, manufacturers supported federal regulations creating more rules/enforcement to enhance accountability and public safety. A 1994 law (DSHEA) regulating the dietary supplement industry allows only FDA-approved ingredients and scientifically-supported claims relating to healthy body structures and functions; besides FDA-approved claims.
Additional regulations supported by industry: DSHEA’s mandatory Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) requiring safety and identity testing, steroids and their precursors are banned; manufacturers must promptly disclose adverse events requiring medical attention; mandatory safety recall authority.
Senator McCain’s proposed dietary supplement regulation would have subjected each new product introduction to prior FDA approval, expanding the federal bureaucracy with a government takeover of the industry. Importing this Canadian-style regulatory scheme would duplicate that system’s failures: half as many products available; some considered safe in the USA are banned; long waits for variations of existing products; higher prices.
Fortunately, the American people rejected giving government bureaucrats veto authority over all new nutritional products, which already must use preapproved ingredients. We view this as anti-capitalism and un-American.
Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA
Clinical Nutritionist
HonestNutrition.com
re:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/21/us/politics/21hatch.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all
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