FDA Could Gain More Power to Ban Dietary Supplements Under Proposed Federal Law

FDA Could Gain More Power to Ban Dietary Supplements Under Proposed Federal Law By Dr. Joseph Mercola via Children’s Health Defense

Proposed legislation calls for a federal database for dietary supplements, which requires supplement makers to submit information to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — a move opponents say could give the agency more power to ban supplements from the market.

Story at a glance:

• Proposed legislation is calling for a federal database for dietary supplements, which requires supplement makers to submit information to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• Known as mandatory product listing (MPL) for dietary supplements, supporters claim it’s a way for the FDA to know what products are on the market and what ingredients they include.
• Opponents suggest the move, which is redundant and burdensome for small supplement companies, could ultimately give the FDA more power to ban supplements from the market.
• MPL could pave the way for the FDA to gain premarket approval power — changing access to supplements as we know them.
• Multinational companies like Bayer, Nestle, Unilever, Proctor & Gamble and Clorox have also been buying up supplement companies at a frenzied pace. In 2018, there were 83 such transactions; this rose to 137 in 2021.

The U.S. supplement market was valued at $48.4 billion in 2021, with an expected compounded annual growth rate of 8.9%. In the U.S., where 80% of Americans use dietary supplements, the industry is viewed as trustworthy by the majority of adults (79%).

However, access to high-quality supplements is continually being threatened by legislation, along with corporate mergers and acquisitions.

Proposed legislation is calling for a federal database for dietary supplements, which could pave the way for the FDA to gain premarket approval power — changing access to supplements as we know them.

Mandatory product listing for supplements may be coming

In April, Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Mike Braun, R-Ind., introduced the Dietary Supplement Listing Act of 2022. The Act would require supplement makers to provide information about their products to the FDA, including (but not limited to):

• A list of all ingredients
• An electronic copy of the label
• Allergen statements
• Health and structure/function claims

Known as MPL for dietary supplements, supporters claim it’s a way for the FDA to know what products are on the market and what ingredients they include. But opponents suggest the move, which is burdensome for small supplement companies, could ultimately give the FDA more power to ban supplements from the market.

According to Natural Products Insider:

“Pete Evich, vice president of the lobbying firm Van Scoyoc Associates in the nation’s capital, cited ‘immense pressure’ from MPL proponents to get the proposal into an omnibus bill. … Durbin is expected to lobby aggressively for MPL during the lame-duck session.”

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