The latest in a history of FDA warning letters shows once again that the dietary supplement industry is still the primary regulator of its own products. But in an effort to cast a wider -- or at least faster acting -- net, the agency has announced the development of an RSS feed aimed at warning consumers about new tainted products as they are discovered.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary) feeds are commonly used to issue newsfeeds from blog posts and other Websites. The FDA's feed is an addition to the agency's  photostream of recalled products through its Flickr.com account.

Of particular interest to the personal trainer industry are consumer warnings related to dietary supplements. The FDA claims that in recent times it has alerted consumers of nearly 300 products marketed as dietary supplements, many of which have caused their users injury or illness. "These tainted products can cause serious adverse effects, including strokes, organ failure, and death. The manufacturers selling these products are acting outside the law," stated FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD. Due to the obvious threat to the general public and continual pattern of poor business ethics among supplement manufacturers, the FDA said it plans to take action with product seizures, injunctions, and criminal prosecution of specific individuals responsible, when applicable.

The FDA said tests have shown a "great variety" of undeclared active ingredients in products marketed as dietary supplements including:

• Anti-coagulants
• Anti-convulsants HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (a.k.a. cholesterol medications)
• Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (a.k.a. erectile dysfunction medications)
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
•  Beta-blockers
• Controlled substances (e.g. anabolic steroids)

The FDA recommends that consumers avoid dietary supplements that are marketed to have the same effects as prescription drugs, or are labeled in foreign languages and sold through mass emails. The FDA defines legal dietary supplements as minerals, vitamins, and other ingredients meant to be an addition to the standard diet. Theses are in keeping with the FDA's Current Good Manufacturing Practices, which requires manufacturers to take responsibility for the quality and purity of their products, the agency said.

In summary, the FDA said consumers should pay attention to the following potential warning signs of tainted products marketed as dietary supplements:

• Products claiming to be alternatives to FDA-approved drugs or to have effects similar to prescription drugs.
• Products claiming to be a legal alternative to anabolic steroids.
• Products that are marketed primarily in a foreign language or those that are marketed through mass e-mails.
• Sexual enhancement products promising rapid effects such as working in minutes to hours, or long-lasting effects such as 24 hours to 72 hours.
• Products that provide warnings about testing positive in performance enhancement drug tests.

Generally, if you are using or considering using any product marketed as a dietary supplement, the FDA recommends checking with a physician or registered dietician regarding any nutrients you may need as a supplement to your regular diet.  

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written by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , February 17, 2011

very interesting...

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