03.11.10
A group of senators have reportedly reached consensus on new regulations for the supplement industry and could look to roll them into the broader FDA Food Safety Modernization Bill, according to the Associated Press.
The development comes just days after Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) withdrew support for a supplement bill he previously introduced, saying he would work with other senators to reach common ground.
The AP reported that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)—who co-sponsored the Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010 in February—sent a letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and two other supplement supporters, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY). The letter was released Wednesday evening and outlines four areas of common ground, which, according to the AP, include:
—requiring all dietary supplement manufacturing, processing and holding facilities to register with the Secretary of Health and Human Services
—giving the Food and Drug Administration authority to issue a mandatory recall order if a dietary supplement is adulterated or misbranded or "the use of such supplement could cause serious adverse health consequences such as death"
—requiring the FDA commissioner to publish guidelines on new dietary ingredients "as soon as possible"
—mandating that the FDA notify the Drug Enforcement Administration when a new product contains a synthetic anabolic steroid.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) offered its support for the agreement, saying it protects consumers from dangerous dietary supplements sold in retail stores and online.
“These are needed improvements. The agreement provides much-needed additional consumer protections, without risking access to legal supplements,” said Travis Tygart, USADA CEO. “This is a battle that has been won for the good guys, and we will continue to monitor the impact of these changes while maintaining efforts to hold the supplement industry accountable for ensuring all of their products are healthy and safe for consumers.”
The development comes just days after Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) withdrew support for a supplement bill he previously introduced, saying he would work with other senators to reach common ground.
The AP reported that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)—who co-sponsored the Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010 in February—sent a letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and two other supplement supporters, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY). The letter was released Wednesday evening and outlines four areas of common ground, which, according to the AP, include:
—requiring all dietary supplement manufacturing, processing and holding facilities to register with the Secretary of Health and Human Services
—giving the Food and Drug Administration authority to issue a mandatory recall order if a dietary supplement is adulterated or misbranded or "the use of such supplement could cause serious adverse health consequences such as death"
—requiring the FDA commissioner to publish guidelines on new dietary ingredients "as soon as possible"
—mandating that the FDA notify the Drug Enforcement Administration when a new product contains a synthetic anabolic steroid.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) offered its support for the agreement, saying it protects consumers from dangerous dietary supplements sold in retail stores and online.
“These are needed improvements. The agreement provides much-needed additional consumer protections, without risking access to legal supplements,” said Travis Tygart, USADA CEO. “This is a battle that has been won for the good guys, and we will continue to monitor the impact of these changes while maintaining efforts to hold the supplement industry accountable for ensuring all of their products are healthy and safe for consumers.”
