CRN hopeful about future of MPL in upcoming legislative sessions

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN; Washington, D.C.) has issued a statement expressing disappointment at the exclusion of a mandatory product listing provision from the recently passed omnibus spending package. While the bill did not include language that authorized a mandatory product listing provision, CRN did express encouragement at language included in a joint explanatory statement of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies that was supportive of a mandatory product listing provision.

The language in the explanatory statements reads: “The agreement supports FDA's proposal to require that all products marketed as dietary supplements be listed with FDA. The agreement believes that FDA's authorities over products marketed as dietary supplements should be clarified to facilitate enforcement against unlawfully marketed products.”

This language indicates that interest remains in increasing FDA’s oversight of the dietary supplement industry. “Dietary supplement listing will happen, it will just take a little more time. We encourage our fellow industry stakeholders to exhibit leadership and come to the negotiating table in the next Congress to address their concerns,” said Steve Mister, president and CEO of CRN, in a statement. “Responsible companies across this industry have complained for years about lax enforcement of DSHEA—it’s disheartening that when the chance to provide a meaningful tool to FDA was presented, it didn’t receive more widespread support. Much disinformation has been propagated by the opponents of a dietary supplement product registry. We are confident that, with time, many of these opponents will appreciate its benefits. Reputable companies will be advantaged by that level of transparency and the ability to identify and protect themselves against the very actors that vex responsible players today.”