Page 20 - February 2019 Veterinary Product Guide

About Us How the Dietary Supplement

Industry Is Regulated

The dietary supplement industry has often been
incorrectly criticized for being “unregulated.” That
perception is incorrect. The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has always been able to
regulate the dietary supplement industry
according to food regulations.

Prior to the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and
Education Act (DSHEA), the FDA could conduct
regular routine physical inspections of
manufacturing facilities, regulate label claims to
make sure they are truthful and not misleading,
ensure the safety of ingredients used in the products,
and disallow new ingredients or remove existing
ingredients for safety reasons. The following
information shows the regulatory-compliance
timeline for the dietary supplement industry.

1994 | DSHEA Act
Prior to 1994, dietary supplements were regulated
as foods under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
After this act was promulgated, it provided a
dietary-supplement classification for the first
time. It acknowledged the importance of nutrition
and the benefits of dietary supplements to
promote health and prevent disease, provided
guidelines for labeling, and allowed statements of
nutritional support. The act also established an
Office for Dietary Supplements in the National
Institutes of Health. The office’s purpose is to
explore the potential role that dietary
supplements have to improve health care and to
promote the scientific study of the benefits of
dietary supplements in maintaining health and
preventing chronic disease.
To learn more: visit www.health.gov/dietsupp/ch1.htm

Standard Process scientists work meticulously
to ensure product quality and safety.

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