State AGs Call for Investigation of the Supplement Industry

On April 2, 2014, 14 state Attorneys General wrote to Congress calling for an investigation of the supplement industry, including issues of labelling, authenticity and purity. The AG's letter (linked here along with a press release from New York Attorney General Schneiderman) called for an investigation into "potential false or deceptive labelling" and whether the FDA should issue more enhanced regulations governing supplement labelling. While the letter was limited to the supplement industry, the call for additional FDA inquiry could directly and indirectly spill over to food labelling as the letter asked for an investigation into the whether use of "the terms "natural," "herbal," and "extract," mislead consumers."  Thus once again the FDA is being asked to develop standards for terms, such as "natural" now subject to litigation involving the food industry.