Posted on 04/11/2007 8:50:18 AM PDT by Halgr
That’s a good idea given the FDA’s track record.
There are already laws in place for adulteration, mislabeling, false advertising and a host of other crimes that cover the vitamin and supplement business. Also, having scanned literally hundreds of vitamin and supplement websites, the shysters are fewer than you think and they are easy to spot.
If anything, if you find one, make his life a living hell. sue him.
Moreoover, stick with the leading brands. They don’t do stuff like that. Solgar, Twinlab, Country Life, NOW, Solaray...
There are testing labs that verify the purity of supplements. The highest grade is USP.
As people learn about supplements they tend to get up to speed on quality issues as they get serious about their health. Supplement stores like the chain in Seattle area call Super Supplements have on staff people that are passionate about quality and know more about supplements than anyone else. Their founders are graduates of Bastyr University.
Supplements imported from abroad and carried in ethnic stores are very suspect and have been found through testing to be fraudulent.
But contrast that with the worthless OTC cold and flu medications found in corporate pharmacies and supermarkets. Everyone of them is a placebo.
Next contrast that with the flu shots that your local news media pound the drum about every season “Get you Flu Shots! Get your flu shots!” and know that the viral strains are not matched so the shots are worthless.
FDA approved seven S-E-V-E-N drugs that were killers in the late 1990s during Clinton’s reign of irresponsibility.
I could go on and on.
Supplement industry does not need regulation, it needs education and testing.
wrong. There have to sell what is on the label. Otherwise, you are breaking the law.
And we all know websites never lie and there is only truth and freedom on the internet. If they are gonna sell you crap, they certainly aren't gonna tell you the truth about it! ......
....and people NEVER, EVER break the law.......
You are removing any doubt that you're a handwringer.
Buyer beware, liberty is not for idiots.
If it’s government regulation it’s not science (it’s politics). If it’s science it’s not by government regulation.
Not necessarily true. I know some really good people who work for the government, and yes there are some who really care about their jobs in service to their country. We can't lump all gov employees in the same boat with the career bureaucrats............
Mannnnnnnnnnnnnn, you are really a pill. It was just a joke. A play on your tagline and it had no inference aimed at gov employees whatsoever. It wasn’t about ALL bureacracies either. It was a joke!
I know, but we have here on FR a bad habit of denouncing all government employees as either lazy, or power hungry. I’m guilty of it, myself. But there are many, many real people who work for the government that do a great job in their regulatory areas. Politics is part of the job. Change administrations, change of politics. The clever ones figure out how to get around the politics, and do their jobs in spite of it.....
Getting back to the original question, should the government regulate the food supplement industry or not, I believe the answer is yes, IF they are not willing to do it themselves, OR if corruption and danger to and unsuspecting public is pandemic in the industry. I don’t like government regulation anymore than the rest of us, but, in situations that merit it.....
Can they sell sawdust as natural fiber?
They do do it themselves and evidence to that effect has been posted on this thread. I will always and forever be for liberty and against the nanny state.
>>So something simple like Omega-3 fish oils will have to go through the approval process now? Or is that only if the seller claims they help boost HDL?
I can see a quality control issue being important, but how much speech will this inhibit if the FDA must approve any claim? Most supplements already say the claims are not endorsed by the FDA. Will that statement be insufficient?<<
Good example. Fish oil would have to be “safe” like any food or supplement. The FDA is concerned about the levels of PCB’s and mercury -they might set limits for those poisons.
A manufacturer could say that the American Heart Association reccomends 1 gram of fish oil per day. Where they would get in trouble would be if they claimed it cured heart disease or anything else that has not been proved.
If they want to label it “pharmaceutical grade” that has a special meaning in the U.S. for the quality of the distillation process and the resulting purity.
If they want to certify for all major countries they can join the International Fish Oil association and have their product tested. That way a consumer can go to the web site and check the testing.
http://www.nutrasource.ca/ifos_new/index.cfm?section=ifosconsumer
But if just want to sell plain old fish oil with no claims they only need to make sure its safe - there is no new regulation for that.
>>But isn’t false advertising the perview of the FTC?<<
The FDA regulates drugs and medical devices, including the advertising or labeling of those items.
You can sell parsley as a decorative item without FDA regulation. If you market it as food it comes under food regulation and has to be safe. If you claim it cures cancer it has to meet drug regulations. For either food or drug claims the FDA then has jurisdiction.
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