Senators Reach Agreement on Restricting Supplements

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Senators Reach Agreement on Restricting Supplements

 

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By: HOWARD FENDRICH

Associated Press

03/11/10 6:25 AM PST

 

WASHINGTON - Stricter government oversight of dietary supplements is moving

closer thanks to an agreement among senators to include guidelines in a food

safety bill.

 

Four key areas of " common ground " are outlined in a letter sent by Sens. John

McCain, an Arizona Republican, and Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, to

Sen. Tom Harkin, the Iowa Democrat who chairs the Senate Health, Education,

Labor and Pensions Committee.

 

McCain and Dorgan were co-sponsors of legislation introduced last month, the

Dietary Supplement Safety Act, aimed at regulating the industry. This week's

letter to Harkin - also sent to the committee's top Republican, Sen. Mike Enzi

of Wyoming, and Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican - talks about incorporating

the " areas of agreement " into the FDA Food Safety Modernization Bill.

 

Those provisions include:

 

_requiring all dietary supplement manufacturing, processing and holding

facilities to register with the Secretary of Health and Human Services;

 

_giving the Food and Drug Administration authority to issue a mandatory recall

order if a dietary supplement is adulterated or misbranded or " the use of such

supplement could cause serious adverse health consequences such as death; "

 

_requiring the FDA commissioner to publish guidelines on new dietary

ingredients " as soon as possible; "

 

_mandating that the FDA notify the Drug Enforcement Administration when a new

product contains a synthetic anabolic steroid.

 

Athletes from various sports have blamed positive drug tests on substances that

turn up in dietary supplements even though they aren't listed as ingredients on

the label.

 

McCain has said his bill would protect professional and Olympic athletes - along

with casual sports participants who use supplements.

 

Pro sports leagues and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency have been supporting McCain's

efforts on supplements, and USADA chief executive officer Travis Tygart said

Wednesday the letter indicates areas in which the new legislative effort " fills

holes. "

 

" These are obviously needed improvements, and the agreement provides

additional consumer protections which are certainly important to all

athletes and why the pro sports and the Olympic sports came together to push for

better regulation, " Tygart said in a telephone interview with The Associated

Press. " It also continues to allow all consumers to have access to legitimate

supplements. It's a fair balance, and this step in the process has resulted in a

quick and beneficial agreement. "

 

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