Nutritional science for mind health products
DSM Nutritional Products
Criticism from consumer groups has indeed received play across the news, but so too has positive feedback from trade associations. Yes, industry's voice has made it into the big publications, in turn reaching thousands of readers.
This could come as a surprise when taking into consideration the negative and, some would say, sensational coverage the dietary supplement industry has been subjected to in the past - be it pertaining to clinical trials, third party testing results or contamination scares.
Advocates from within the industry have long been calling for proactive media response, or a system within which the industry generates positive news, as opposed to only reacting to negative press. Such initiatives have been recently launched by trade associations including the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).
On the opposite end, drawing on consumer fears, are advocacy groups with interests diametrically opposed to those of the supplement industry. These have drawn attention to individual products, highlighting regulatory issues and putting forth the claim that the industry is entirely unregulated.
Based on the past week's experience, has the tide of bad news for the industry changed?
Since the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued the GMP legislation last Friday, a variety of voices - most notably that of the federal agency itself - have made it to press.
For over 13 years, GMPs have been the missing statute to the 1994 Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act (DSHEA) that governs the dietary supplement industry. The legislation is set to provide standards specific to this industry for inspectors to check for purity, safety and legality in manufacturing.
Still, the assumption that industry is unregulated because it is governed in a post-market system, continued in this week's coverage of the GMP ruling.
One attention-grabbing introduction likely reached numerous newspapers and on first glance appeared to be another article criticizing the industry:
"For the first time, manufacturers of vitamins, herbal pills and other dietary supplements will have to test all of their products' ingredients," wrote Kevin Freking for the Associated Press (AP).
Given that AP sells its news service to 1,500 daily newspapers in the US, the article could be influential. Among those that did publish it are top dogs like the Chicago Tribune, the Boston Globe, the Houston Chronicle, Business Week, as well as online at ABC News and Fox News.
Freking proceeds in the article to explain what the new GMP ruling is exactly, and then leads into a perspective emerging straight from industry itself - casting light on its responsible face.
He attributes Steve Mister, CRN president and CEO, as commenting that most companies already do test their raw ingredients.
"This raises the bar so that all have to comply," Mister is quoted as saying.
The stances from consumer advocacy and watchdog groups, namely the Public Citizen and Consumers Union, also made it into the AP text as well as numerous other articles.
This appears to have stemmed from press releases the groups issued, drawing significant media attention to their message for more stringent post-market regulation.
"However, consumers still have no idea if a given product works, or whether it is dangerous," Janell Mayo Duncan, senior counsel for Consumer Union, stated in a press release.
"Congress should address this enormous deficiency in the law," said Sidney Wolfe, director of the Health Research Group at Public Citizen, in a written statement.
But most of the articles in question temper these statements by balancing them with opposing quotes, or giving consumer advice.
Katherine Leitzell, reporter for US News & World Report, wrote that consumers should be cautious when they read impressive label claims.
"If it sounds like it's too good to be true, it probably is," Bimal Ashar, a physician at Johns Hopkins University, is quoted in the US New & World Report as saying.
Leitzell added to a more favorable image of supplement manufacturers by saying they have so far responded positively to the new ruling.
The Miami Herald exposed the supplement industry in a less flattering light, dredging up references industry would most likely not like to draw attention to.
"Independent lab tests have found one in four supplements tested to be substandard," wrote reporter Tony Pugh for the Miami Herald. "Some have been tainted with pesticides, salmonella, glass, bacteria and heavy metals such as lead and cadmium."
Freking also underscored a less than savory reputation for this industry.
"Under the old regulations, supplements were governed by the same rules that applied to producing foods, such as cans of soup," wrote Freking for AP.
On their home turf, a veritable dietary supplement industry enclave, Utah companies shone through. In the article, "Utahns welcome new FDA supplement rule", The Salt Lake Tribune gave Utah's sizeable nutraceutical industry a plug.
Reporter Mike Gorrell spoke to Loren Isrealsen, executive director of the United Natural Products Alliance:
"Israelsen said the public deserves to have confidence in the production and labeling processes, adding that Utah's cluster of supplement and herbal-product manufacturers - such as Xango, Nutraceutical Corp, Nature's Sunshine and Weider Nutrition - are industry leaders in developing the best general manufacturing process."
'General manufacturing processes' may not be what FDA had in mind, but industry is likely to be grateful for any media pat on the back it can get as it slowly strives for an image makeover.