In the wake of the new Current Good Manufacturing Process (CGMP) the FDA has now posted “FDA 101 How to Use the Consumer Complaint System and Med Watch” to deal with the growing issue of unsafe and contaminated products that include dietary supplements.
When the FDA passed The Dietary Health Education Supplement Act in 1994 supplement related illness’s being reported to Poison Control Centers around the country increased by 344%. That was 14 years ago. The consumer needs to be their own best advocate on purchasing and using dietary supplements safely. With the new mandatory reporting requirements now in effect June 1, 2008 it is expected that the reports of adverse effects and serious illness will dramatically increase. It is presumed that the FDA is asking the consumer to be the guinea pig for the time being at least and by virtue of the new reporting bank. The FDA will now be able to zero in on the most harmful dietary and herbal supplements in order to institute a recall and or seize the product to perform or require the manufacturer to produce quality control testing. In other words it things will get worse before they get better and in the mean time buyer beware could not have more meaning than now. No longer can the consumer have their head in the sand and blind faith that products they purchase for themselves and their family are pure and contaminant free. Consumers may sign up for Med Watch/FDA news alerts that address all potential bans and recalls. In addition the consumer can use sources such as ConsumerLab to check to see if the dietary supplement has been independently tested for quality and purity. For more information on the new regulations or how to sign up for MedWatch/FDA please visit:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01657.html
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