Call for tighter controls of supplement claims

A member of the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has called for tighter regulations governing adverts for dietary supplements to protect consumers.

Speaking at a food-and-drug law conference earlier this week, Sheila Anthony said the passing of a law restricting the influence of the Food and Drug Administration over the supplement industry had led to a sharp increase in the marketing of supplements and in questionable claims.

"The commission has seen its workload expand in recent times in policing dietary supplement advertising,"​ she said. "The commission has brought over 60 law-enforcement actions in the past five years challenging false or unsubstantiated claims about the efficacy and safety of a wide variety of dietary supplements, and we have many more in the pipeline."​

The FTC has fought vigorously to protect consumers from the raft of false claims about the efficacy of dietary supplements - from protecting against anthrax to the enlargement of sexual organs - but Anthony said that the industry itself could do more to prevent such claims from ever being made.

"I believe that there needs to be more and better self-regulation in the dietary supplement industry. The industry must take a more active role in policing those in their industry who are engaged in fraud and deception, and are giving the entire industry a black eye."​

Stressing that these opinions were hers alone and not necessarily representative of the FTC, she added that the media should also take a more responsible line by refusing to carry adverts which are clearly irresponsible.