FDA Issues New Rules for Vitamin Purity

In an attempt to make pharmaceutical drugs seem more effective while making vitamins and over the counter supplements ineffective the FDA did not endorse, approve, or review vitamins or other supplements. The party line, to curb consumer trust and demand, goes something like this

"Many herbal supplements have not been studied well and are not regulated by the FDA," said Tepper. "Therefore, we can not be sure of the safety of these products.”

In spite of that consumer fear, and banning once popular supplements like tryptophan to make space for SSRIs, the drug companies are once again in fear of losing profits to non-prescription non-subscription based drugs.

The FDA can't stop consumer demand or ban the OTC supplements quick enough. They can publish aggressively titled scare-mongering content on a few of them
( www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2004/204_ ), but that model does not scale. The trick only works well if it is rarely done. People can't be afraid of everything.

To help further put the balance of power back into the hands of the pharma corporations, the FDA is now requiring supplement and vitamin manufacturers to meet a purity level.

If the FDA finds that supplements do not contain the ingredients they claim, it will be able to ask the manufacturer to remove an ingredient or revise its label. In more serious cases, it could seize the product, file a lawsuit or seek criminal charges.

Not only can products be seized, but the act also requires the collection of biased data about how the supplements do not work

“In addition, as a result of recent amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, by the end of the year, industry will be required to report all serious dietary supplement related adverse events to FDA,” he said.

Over the years the quality regulations will tighten to drive up costs and destroy weaker companies in the space. And, as evidence is collected, these drugs will quietly be removed from store shelves one by one.

In capitalism the best business model wins, even if it is created through excessive marketing by monopolies that add no real value to the world we live in.

Posted at June 23, 2007 11:20 PM