FDA opens door for health claims - for dietary supplements

The Food and Drug Administration has opened the door to some health claims by dietary supplements. The announcement came in the wake of Pearson v. Shalala, a landmark lawsuit that claimed the government agency denied First Amendment rights to supplement manufacturers by not allowing them to publish health claims on their products.

The decision by the FDA will allow supplement manufacturers to field a health claim petition as long as the scientific evidence in support of the claim outweighs the scientific evidence against the claim. The National Nutritional Foods Association, the governing body of the nutritional supplements business, applauded the ruling. "This interim health strategy creates a broad base of possible new health claims and also invites reinterpretation of existing health claims regulations," said NNFA Executive Director David Seckman.

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