Advocates for consumer protection argue for tighter regulations on dietary supplements
Growing Quires for Tightened Regulations on Food Supplement Advertisements
Consumer advocates in Germany are urging for tougher regulation of advertisements for dietary supplements, citing the need to safeguard consumers from false or misleading claims. The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) expressed this concern on Wednesday, pointing to a prevalence of unverified health promises in advertisements, particularly on social media platforms.
According to a survey conducted by the vzbv, many individuals perceive supplements as safe and well-researched alternatives. However, the organization asserts that this perception is often inaccurate. Moreover, consumers tend to overestimate the effectiveness of supplements, such as vitamin drops touted as immune boosters or liver detox capsules.
The vzbv report highlights that food supplements, at times, are advertised on social media with unfounded health claims. The survey found that approximately a quarter of respondents consider supplements to be a form of natural medicine, despite being food products.
Approximately 80% of respondents in the survey use dietary supplements, with more than half of them doing so at least once a week. Concerningly, nearly half (49%) incorrectly assume that these products undergo health safety testing before they are sold.
In the United States, dietary supplements are regulated differently compared to pharmaceutical drugs. Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, these products are not required to secure FDA approval before marketing, except for new dietary ingredients. Advertisements for supplements are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rather than the FDA.
Consumer advocates argue that this regulatory framework permits potential deception in advertising practices, as disclaimers and nutrition information on supplement labels and ads can be inconsistently presented. They advocate for clearer, more stringent rules on how supplement claims are presented, including front-of-package labeling, to empower consumers to make informed choices and reduce confusion.
Amid recent regulatory rollbacks favoring industry deregulation and the FDA rebranding certain human food program regulations, consumer advocates underscore the need for increased regulatory oversight to safeguard public health and ensure truthful advertising.
The FTC's role in regulating supplement ads is acknowledged, but consumer advocates call for more robust measures to ensure advertising claims are substantiated by scientific evidence and communicated appropriately to consumers.
The proposals from consumer advocates include stricter, clearer rules on how dietary supplement advertising claims are presented, enhancing front-of-package nutrition labeling, and bolstering regulatory oversight to prevent misleading and potentially deceptive advertising. These measures aim to better protect consumers from exaggerated or false claims that may influence health decisions and counterbalance recent regulatory rollbacks.
- The vzbv, expressing concern over the prevalence of unfounded health claims in supplement advertisements, is advocating for stricter community policies that align with scientific evidence in the health-and-wellness sector, specifically targeting food safety within food supplement advertisements.
- In the quest for increased public health protection and truthful advertising, consumer advocates are urging for the incorporation of nutrition labeling on the front packages of food supplements, as well as clearer, more stringent rules on how advertising claims are presented, to support informed decision-making and counter the potential deception in supplement advertisements.
