Tell Congress to Oppose the Dietary Supplement Labeling Act
The Dietary Supplement Labeling Act has been introduced in the Senate.
It was purportedly created in response to the recent “Lazy Cakes” brownie controversy, though there is hardly any mention in it of food companies like the one that made the Lazy Cakes. The bill instead targets supplements and supplement manufacturers, exploiting a hot-button food issue to try to pass more regulation for dietary supplements.
This bill requires that the FDA, together with the Institute of Medicine, compile a list of dietary ingredients that could lead to adverse events or are otherwise deemed risky in some way. But creating lists of “bad” ingredients or “bad” doses based on completely arbitrary or non-existent standards is a slippery slope.
Moreover, almost all of its provisions are already covered by existing law. There is no need for any new legislation; the only need is for existing laws to be fully enforced.
Much, much more info at:
http://www.anh-usa.org/
Join up and sign the petition if you want your supplement supply to remain plentiful and (relatively) inexpensive.
https://secure3.convio.net/aahf/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=836
Substance of the petition:
Senator Durban has just introduced the Dietary Supplement Labeling Act. I am writing to ask my senators to oppose it, and my representative to prevent a similar bill from being introduced in the House.
The bill is disingenuous. It was purportedly created in response to the recent "Lazy Cakes" brownie controversy, though there is hardly any mention in it of food companies like the one that made the Lazy Cakes. The bill instead targets supplements and supplement manufacturers, exploiting a hot-button food issue to try to pass more regulation for dietary supplements.
This bill requires that the FDA, together with the Institute of Medicine, compile a list of dietary ingredients that could lead to adverse events or are otherwise deemed risky in some way. But creating lists of "bad" ingredients or "bad" doses based on completely arbitrary or non-existent standards is a slippery slope. Moreover, under the Durbin bill, once an ingredient or supplement is on the list, there is no a clear process to challenge the FDA and IOM determination, not even if new or contradictory evidence comes to light.
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 already requires that all dietary supplement products show ingredient lists. Health claims already have to be pre-approved by the FDA according to the Nutrition Labeling and Education. Supplements must be manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure the ingredients are safe and at the levels they claim them to be. Accurate disclosure of the contents in the dietary supplement package is already required under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. And almost all supplement manufacturers have a list of all their products and ingredients available to the public on their websites.
In other words, this bill creates extraneous red tape, paperwork, and burdensome labeling requirements, when everything the bill mandates is already being accomplished under current law! The laws we already have are more than enough. It is the matter of enforcement, not new legislation.
Please oppose the Dietary Supplement Labeling Act!
The Dietary Supplement Labeling Act has been introduced in the Senate.
It was purportedly created in response to the recent “Lazy Cakes” brownie controversy, though there is hardly any mention in it of food companies like the one that made the Lazy Cakes. The bill instead targets supplements and supplement manufacturers, exploiting a hot-button food issue to try to pass more regulation for dietary supplements.
This bill requires that the FDA, together with the Institute of Medicine, compile a list of dietary ingredients that could lead to adverse events or are otherwise deemed risky in some way. But creating lists of “bad” ingredients or “bad” doses based on completely arbitrary or non-existent standards is a slippery slope.
Moreover, almost all of its provisions are already covered by existing law. There is no need for any new legislation; the only need is for existing laws to be fully enforced.
Much, much more info at:
http://www.anh-usa.org/
Join up and sign the petition if you want your supplement supply to remain plentiful and (relatively) inexpensive.
https://secure3.convio.net/aahf/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=836
Substance of the petition:
Senator Durban has just introduced the Dietary Supplement Labeling Act. I am writing to ask my senators to oppose it, and my representative to prevent a similar bill from being introduced in the House.
The bill is disingenuous. It was purportedly created in response to the recent "Lazy Cakes" brownie controversy, though there is hardly any mention in it of food companies like the one that made the Lazy Cakes. The bill instead targets supplements and supplement manufacturers, exploiting a hot-button food issue to try to pass more regulation for dietary supplements.
This bill requires that the FDA, together with the Institute of Medicine, compile a list of dietary ingredients that could lead to adverse events or are otherwise deemed risky in some way. But creating lists of "bad" ingredients or "bad" doses based on completely arbitrary or non-existent standards is a slippery slope. Moreover, under the Durbin bill, once an ingredient or supplement is on the list, there is no a clear process to challenge the FDA and IOM determination, not even if new or contradictory evidence comes to light.
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 already requires that all dietary supplement products show ingredient lists. Health claims already have to be pre-approved by the FDA according to the Nutrition Labeling and Education. Supplements must be manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure the ingredients are safe and at the levels they claim them to be. Accurate disclosure of the contents in the dietary supplement package is already required under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. And almost all supplement manufacturers have a list of all their products and ingredients available to the public on their websites.
In other words, this bill creates extraneous red tape, paperwork, and burdensome labeling requirements, when everything the bill mandates is already being accomplished under current law! The laws we already have are more than enough. It is the matter of enforcement, not new legislation.
Please oppose the Dietary Supplement Labeling Act!
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