A representative of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) this week encouraged state law-enforcement officials to target products that are marketed as dietary supplements but contain hidden drugs.
“These types of activities clearly violate the law and present real risks to public health," CRN regulatory counsel Rend Al-Mondhiry said Monday, addressing an audience of roughly 80 assistant attorneys general during a meeting in St. Louis. “This is where state AGs can be most effective in protecting consumers and can coordinate with FDA to target these illegal products."
She spoke during a dietary supplement panel at the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) Fall Consumer Protection Meeting. Al-Mondhiry was joined by representatives of Harvard Medical School and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The session on dietary supplements was held at a time when the industry faces increasing scrutiny from attorneys general, as demonstrated by a recent lawsuit filed against GNC by Oregon Attorney Ellen Rosenblum and an earlier devil’s claw investigation announced by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
Trade associations including CRN have long griped that individuals and companies spiking “supplements" with unlawful drugs unfairly gives the legitimate industry a poor reputation and should be the subject of vigorous prosecution.
Commenting on the problem of criminals lacing natural products with illegal ingredients, Al-Mondhiri said, “CRN wants to continue working with FDA and also with the state AGs to help address this issue."