Dietary Supplement Regulation

The growing consumer interest in health and fitness has expanded the market for a wide range of products, from yoga mats to the multiple dietary supplements now on the market. Supplements are popular, but are they safe? Many dietary supplements are probably safe when used as recommended. However, since 1994 when Congress decided that they should be regulated as if they were foods, they are assumed to be safe unless the Food and Drug Administration can demonstrate that they pose a significant risk to the consumer. But there are many types of products that qualify as dietary supplements, and the distinctions can become muddled and vague. Manufacturers are not legally required to provide specific information about safety before marketing their products. And the sales of supplements have been steadily increasingâ€"all together, the various types now bring in almost $16 billion per year. Given these confounding factors, what kind of information can the Food and Drug Administration use to effectively regulate dietary supplements? This book provides a framework for evaluating dietary supplement safety and protecting the health of consumers.

Contrary to the common belief that dietary supplements are “unregulated” in the United States, nutrients and other dietary ingredient-containing products have been regulated in this country for a little over a century at least in some capacity, initially through the Pure Food and Drug Act (PFDA) of 1906 and culminating with the many anticipated regulations to be implemented following the recent enactment of the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010 (FSMA). The goal of this brief is to review and discuss the current statutes and regulations surrounding the ingredients, manufacturing standards, safety, and labeling of dietary supplements for the purpose of protecting consumers. ​

This book documents the long, still ongoing battle between the US Food and Drug Administration and the dietary supplement industry. It presents the complex, often subtle, and sometimes overlooked series of events that had a major impact on how dietary supplements are manufactured, marketed, sold, and used today. While the first few chapters focus on some background topics, the remaining chapters walk the reader through timeline of events, legislative actions, FDA proposed and final rules, and judicial decisions that led to our current dietary supplement regulatory framework. Interwoven in narrative are examples of the roles of science, social and public policy, politics, and popular media.

Regulation of Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals: A Global Perspective offers a comprehensive resource for information on regulatory aspects of the growing and economically important functional food industry. Regulatory systems and definitions of key terms-food, supplement, drug, etc-vary from country to country. A thorough understanding of laws and regulation within and among key countries with regard to functional foods, herbal extracts or drugs, and nutritional supplements is critical to the direction of food companies that are developing products for these markets. International experts with legal and/or scientific expertise address relevant topics from quality issues, to organic foods to labeling. Innovative product development within the framework of existing regulations will be addressed in individual chapters. Overview chapters will discuss global principles, inter-country trading issues, and present a comparison of the laws and regulations within different countries graphically. A "must-have" handbook for research professionals, management, and marketing strategists in the worldwide functional foods/nutritional supplements business. Food technicians and engineers responsible for manufacturing quality in this industry should add it to their library to ensure that they have a thorough knowledge of the applicable legal requirements. The book will also serve as an indispensable shelf reference for lawyers in the food industry and government health professionals with regulatory responsibilities.

Dietary supplements made from foods, herbs and their constituents are a rapidly growing market sector. Consumers often view food supplements as ‘natural’ and therefore safe; however, supplements are regulated as foods rather than as pharmaceuticals and so are not as closely monitored as may be necessary. With the commercial market in these products growing, this book provides essential research into their safety, efficacy and potential risk of interaction with pharmaceuticals. Following an introductory chapter, part one covers the chemical composition, manufacture and regulation of dietary supplements. Part two looks at the effectiveness of different types of dietary supplement and methods of evaluation. Finally, part three focuses on supplement safety. Reviews the design, production and regulation of dietary supplements. Analyses the potential for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics interactions between dietary supplements and pharmaceuticals. Offers reviews of important clinical studies on the efficacy of dietary supplements for range of conditions.

Today’s challenge, especially for many newcomers to the regulated industry, is not necessarily to gather regulatory information, but to know how to interpret and apply it. The ability to discern what is important from what is not, and to interpret regulatory documents correctly, provides a valuable competitive advantage to any newcomer or established professional in this field. An Overview of FDA Regulated Products: From Drugs and Medical Devices to Food and Tobacco provides a valuable summary of the key information to unveil the meaning of critical, and often complex, regulatory concepts. Concise and easy to read with practical explanations, key points, summaries and case studies, this book highlights the regulatory processes involved in bringing an FDA regulated product from research and development to approval and market. Although the primary focus will be on the US system, this book also features global perspectives where appropriate. A valuable resource for students, professors and professionals, An Overview of FDA Regulated Products illustrates the most important elements and concepts so that the reader can focus on the critical issues and make the necessary connections to be successful. Provides an overview of key regulatory requirements using a practical approach that features detailed discussions of hypothetical and real-world case studies in order to highlight the concepts and applications of regulations Covers all FDA regulated products, including drugs, biologics, medical devices, cosmetics, foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, veterinary products, tobacco and more in one single reference Illustrates complex topics in a clear, succinct and engaging manner by breaking down technical terms and offering straightforward and easy to understand explanations