SILVER SPRING, Md.—The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) launched a new website, KeepSupplementsClean.org, designed to keep the dietary supplement industry informed on issues related to illegal tainted products being sold as dietary supplements. It highlights the same problematic supplement categories that FDA focused on in a letter addressed to the industry late last year: weight loss, sexual enhancement and body building.
AHPA was one of the several trade associations that met with FDA in late 2010 to discuss the issue of tainted products that masquerade as supplements. During these meetings, the agency and the industry recognized a shared interest in addressing the illegal marketing of products that contain undisclosed and illegal ingredients. This agreement led to public expressions of support by the trade to collaborate with the agency to educate the industry about this problem and to help develop new strategies to combat it, as announced during a press conference held by FDA on Dec. 15, 2010.
The website identifies the product categories that are most susceptible to adulteration—categories in which consumers may be looking for immediate or dramatic results—and provides direct links to the communications that FDA has prepared for each of these categories. It also lists all related enforcement actions and recalls. These lists will be updated each time FDA announces a new enforcement action or recall. In addition, information is provided for similar tainted products identified in other countries.
Although the KeepSupplementsClean.org website is targeted primarily to the trade, AHPA believes that consumers will also utilize the resources available on the website. The association has therefore also included information for consumers, derived from the agency's messages to potential consumers of products in these classes.
On Dec. 15, 2010, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, M.D., sent a letter to the dietary supplement industry detailing the agency’s position on products adulterated with drug or drug-like compounds and sold as dietary supplements. The agency clearly stated such products are illegal and those involved in the manufacturing, distribution and sale of such products can face criminal penalties. The agency encouraged responsible members of the supplement industry to step up their vigilance in this area and report products and companies they suspect of such back-alley behavior.
