Hoping supplements will remain free to buy

[Sallysblooms]

Durbin's ammend. is in Senate. A vote is soon, minutes. I have no idea how he keeps getting to do this. We have to remain free to buy the supplements that heal us. I hope this doesn't pass. When he tried it before, it failed. I NEED to sleep tonight! I have been worried for months about this.

[mrsD]

http://www.naturalproductsinsider.co...ment-bill.aspx

What the Bill Mandates

According to the Congressional Record, the bill would amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to specifically require dietary supplement manufacturers to register their facility as well as the following information:

a description of each dietary supplement product manufactured by such facility;
a list of all ingredients in each such dietary supplement product; and
a copy of the label and labeling for each such product.

In addition, the bill would require updated registration when the company begins making a product it hasn’t made nor registered previously, when a registered product is reformulated, or when it discontinues making a registered product.

[Sallysblooms]

I watched it all on CSPAN. I hope Durbin stops doing this. He has tried before.

We are safe in America again. I have told so many to sign the petition and made so many calls. I am feeling happy but tired, no sleep. Nap time for me.


http://www.anh-usa.org/durbin-amendment-defeated/

[mrsD]

The other side of this coin is:

Supplements containing DRUGS which are not listed on the label.

Foods containing things that shouldn't be there unless proven effective.

This is not the same as the Euro issues with limiting doses, or content.

But then, who am I to say... what doors this opens?

Supplements would be free to buy as long as they conform to safety labeling.
Do you know how many erectile supplements actually contain Viagra?
This has been a real problem in US. People taking this can die under certain complex drug interaction scenarios.

Many imported supplements from China contain many toxic drugs, that are removed from sale here... like chloramphenicol (antibiotic), and
phenylbutazone (anti-inflammatory).

It is something to think about. Abuses of the system often result in overly restrictive laws as a result. So there is no one clear cut answer to this problem of adulterated or misbranded supplements.

[Sallysblooms]

It is up to the consumer to be smart. I never take supplements from other countries. My doctors do not use things like that. We cannot be a nanny state like other countries. They have thier choice taken away. They cannot buy supplements. I talk to many, many people and it makes me sad and I hope we never turn into a place where we cannot have freedom. Things have been changing that way the past couple of years and we cannot let that continue. FDA over reaches and never protects us from prescriptions. $$$$$ They only want to control our supplements that heal us.

Durbin tried to sneak this in but Alliance for Health warned everyone.

[Kitt]

Supplements are regulated as a food not as a drug.

This site is interesting.

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Die...hProfessional/

[echoes long ago]

Originally Posted by Sallysblooms

It is up to the consumer to be smart. I never take supplements from other countries. My doctors do not use things like that. We cannot be a nanny state like other countries. They have thier choice taken away. They cannot buy supplements. I talk to many, many people and it makes me sad and I hope we never turn into a place where we cannot have freedom. Things have been changing that way the past couple of years and we cannot let that continue. FDA over reaches and never protects us from prescriptions. $$$$$ They only want to control our supplements that heal us.

Durbin tried to sneak this in but Alliance for Health warned everyone.

how can the consumer be smart if the consumer doesnt know what the ingredients of a supplement are? i dont see anything wrong with this bill and i fail to see where it limits anyone's freedom to buy supplements. there should be no problems or hesitation listing ingredients if they arent harmful. people should know exactly what is in their supplements.

[Sallysblooms]

It would take a while to explain. You can read about it. It was thankfully not even a close vote. You do know the ingredients in supplements. At least good ones. FDA is not as careful with prescriptions that cause many deaths.

[mrsD]

more explanation:

http://www.naturalproductsinsider.co...-defeated.aspx

Often amendments get tagged onto other legislation, and this vote was to try and get this passed while on the coat-tails of other laws.

I do see it as perhaps placing a pricing burden on the consumer, who would pay for the extra efforts supplement manufacturers would pass on to them from the costs of complying with the new law. It would also flood the FDA, as it stands now, and create delays, and require more employees to handle it all. At a time when downsizing government is a goal to decrease spending, it seems ill timed.

There have been remedies posted here that do not list their ingredients clearly. Or only partially do so. I don't want to post about them again, and draw them back here. If you want an example, I'll PM you with one very obvious example. But I see the Durbin amendment as a potential for consumer safety. But in reality once in place it just might increase the costs of supplements we already use. Many government attempts of control, often just backfire in some way.

Food safety is really a hot issue now, and the FDA cannot even begin to oversee and inspect all the food chain locations where deadly bacteria may enter our food chain. I don't see how the FDA can do a new thing on top of that major failure?

[Sallysblooms]

Supplements after 1994 would have been off the shelves within 30 days. So it was a good outcome. FDA has already taken fish oil to make money, good grief. Thankfully, we can still buy it. Also, the vitamin they took that you cannot buy now. I do not want to become the countries with no free will.