Jeffrey Bland, PhDPresident of Big Bold Health | Human Health Thought Leader

Federal Announcement Regarding Dietary Supplement Industry

17 Nov 2015 · 3 min

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2:38

Jeffrey Bland, PhD, summarizes and responds to a joint, web‑streamed federal meeting held out of Washington, D.C., in which multiple agencies signaled a coordinated, more aggressive enforcement approach toward unsafe or misbranded dietary supplements. He reports the meeting occurred November 17th at 3:30 Eastern (webcast), names participating federal bodies, cites serious harms (deaths, liver transplants, disability) from tainted or drug‑promoting supplements, and references the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) advocacy in 1994–95. Bland condemns a minority of manufacturers who have abused the regulatory environment and endorses tighter enforcement to protect consumers while supporting responsible industry leaders.

Questions this video answers

November 17th at 3:30 Eastern Standard Time.

Washington D.C.

The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), referenced as 1994, 95.

Department of Justice; FDA Global Regulatory Operations Policy; Chief Inspector of the USPIS; FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection (Acting Director); Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (DoD); Special Advisor on Drugs and Supplements of the USADA.

Chapters

News flash. Something happened that for me was unprecedented in my 40 years of experience in the health and dietary supplement nutrition field. November 17th at 3:30 Eastern Standard Time a joint web streamed meeting was held out of Washington D.C. orchestrated by the Department of Justice along with others that recognize the necessity to collaborate. This is the FDA Global Regulatory Operations Policy, the Chief inspector of the USPIS, the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, Acting Director, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health affairs from the Department of Defense, and the Special Advisor on Drugs and Supplements of the usada, all speaking at the microphone collaboratively about the necessity to move vigorously and aggressively to to prohibit any additional egregious misuse of the dietary supplement regulations to promote and sell dangerous, unbranded or mis marketed products. Why did this happen? This happened because we've now seen deaths, we've seen people being disabled with the necessity for liver transplants as a consequence of the misuse of dietary supplement opportunities to promote drugs or tainted products with sensationalized claims that put people at risk and or don't deliver what they've been claimed to deliver. When the Dietary Supplement Health Education act was passed, of which I with many, many others were involved in its advocacy back in 1994, 95, there was every opportunity that the industry would have the chance to really contribute now to the health and well being of the American public. And most manufacturers in the dietary supplement area have done that. But there are a few, a few that have egregiously abused this opportunity by promoting products that are misbranded, unsafe and in some cases have led to death. In that case, there is nothing else that can be done other than to tighten the reins. None of us really want this. It's not the desired way that this should happen. But as a consequence of the few, the many will pay the price. I think it's time I support this advocacy and I think those that will rise to the surface and be the leaders in the industry are those that have really been there for the right reasons to produce high quality products with responsible claims that really do help to promote well being and healthy outcomes in people.