The Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels -- established by Congress in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 and appointed by President Clinton -- has transmitted its final report to the President, the Congress, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The seven-member Commission examined a number of issues associated with labeling of dietary supplements. The report completes the duties of the Commission as assigned in its charter of February 1996.
As requested, the Commission conducted a study on and is providing recommendations for the regulation of label claims and statements for dietary supplements, including the use of literature in connection with the sale of dietary supplements and procedures for the evaluation of such claims. To accomplish its task, the Commission obtained advice from individuals, consumer organizations, the dietary supplement industry, and scientific organizations through written submissions and a series of public meetings throughout the United States. A preliminary report was released for public comment in June 1997. The final report reflects the consideration of materials, documents, and opinions submitted to the Commission during its deliberations.
The report contains the Commission's recommendations for regulations and provides guidance to government agencies and the dietary supplement industry relative to safety, label statements, health claims, substantiation of claims, and botanical supplements. The report emphasizes the need for public access to the evidence on which label statements are based so that consumers can make informed decisions about the use of dietary supplements.
Although the Commission operated independently from any policy guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services, staff support was provided by the Department through the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
The printed report is available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, for $12.00 (shipping included). The Stock Number is 017-001-00531-2. To order, call 202-512-1800.
| Letters of Transmittal | Final Report: HTML / PDF |
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