New FDA supplement awareness campaign draws criticism from industry

20 Jun 2022 --- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the “Supplement your Knowledge” campaign to inform about the benefits and potential risks involved in nutritional supplements.

However, some groups, such as the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), made strong statements regarding the tone of the campaign and the FDA’s depiction of dietary supplements.

“We applaud the FDA for trying to do some consumer education but we think they missed the mark,” Steve Mister, president and CEO, Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), tells NutritionInsight. 

However, Mister also holds that “there’s too much emphasis on risk and not enough attention to the fact that there are benefits from these products.”

This is one of the main complaints laid out in the statement made by the AHPA. The herbal supplements coalition is continuing to review the FDA’s published campaign materials, having found that “several place a heavy emphasis on the potential ‘health risks’ of dietary supplements use and question their benefits.” 

A negative “tone”
The content on the campaign’s homepage offers a brief summary of the campaign’s goals and a quick and easy-to-understand table of contents are three short videos. The last video includes a warning early on about the possible adverse effects of supplements such as “rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, slurred speech and blood in urine.”

The warnings give these groups the overall impression that FDA is taking a hard stance against the use of dietary supplements.

“There’s too much emphasis on risk and not enough attention to the fact that there are benefits from these products,” argues Mister at CRN. 

“Disingenuous” contentMany US families are turning to supplements amidst supply chain and inflation woes.
The AHPA also cites another video, found on page five of the campaign’s publication for high school educators titled, “The Real Story of Snake Oil.” The AHPA notes that snake oil was sold before the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.

“This emphasis on risk sounds more like the FDA of the 70s and 80s than today’s ODSP staff,” says Michael Guffin, president, AHPA.

Guffin continues: “It’s also disingenuous to link safe dietary supplements with snake oil from more than a century ago.”

A history of conflict
In April, CRN accused the FDA of granting preferential treatment to big pharma over the industry’s push to keep the FDA from excluding N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) from the definition of dietary supplements. 

Other groups, such as the American College of Clinical Pharmacology, (ACCP), have recently called for more FDA regulation. The ACCP stated that the government does not have enough oversight of the industry and that “there is little or no guidance as to what products adhere or constitute good quality products.” 

However, the supplement industry may be capable of regulating itself to some extent. 

Mister illustrates: “CRN has developed numerous consumer education programs such as Vitamin D & Me, Probiotics – What’s Inside is Alive, LabelWise and SARMS (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators) Can Harm.” 

The “need” for supplements
Recent reports have shown that some supplements have very positive effects on the growth and development of young children. One such study revealed that vitamin K2 can counteract the side effects of some long-term medications in children. Another recent study revealed that a vitamin D deficiency can raise a child’s risk of metabolic disorders such as high blood pressure and even Type II diabetes.CSN president and CEO, Steve Mister, states that he wishes the FDA had sought industry input.

A recent US poll revealed that more than 75% of parents administer vitamins and supplements to their children. The poll also states that many of these parents are concerned over the price of nutritious foods and the challenge of meeting daily intake guidelines. 

Mister agrees with these findings, stating: “We wish they (the FDA) allowed industry to collaborate with them prior to the rollout to assist in elevating the program to be more useful to consumers with more balanced facts about the role dietary supplements play in filling nutrient gaps and supporting wellness.”

For their part, the AHPA has stated that they will continue to review the materials provided by the FDA.

Mister states that “CRN has been in contact with FDA about our concerns following the launch and is providing feedback to the agency on areas that could be made more useful and accurate for consumers.”

Haake, health communication specialist, FDA, has offered to expound in more detail on the criticisms of the campaign following today’s federal holiday.

By William Bradford Nichols