Twenty-five years ago today, President Bill Clinton signed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) into law, thereby amending the Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act to establish dietary supplements as a distinct class of regulated goods with unique and robust requirements for safety, manufacturing, labeling, and marketing.
This important amendment to the FD&C Act has served American consumers well by ensuring access to a wide variety of herbal and other health-promoting supplements as they make their personal healthcare choices. This consumer-driven legislation also helped the regulated supplement industry grow from roughly $4 billion in annual sales in 1994 to more than $45 billion in annual sales today. The growing industry has generated numerous high-skilled jobs and substantial tax revenue to the U.S. economy, while promoting consumer health and wellness.
At the same time, the law has created a framework for the supplement industry to work with federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission to further three shared priorities: consumer safety; product quality; and informed access to supplement products.
The responsible supplement industry continues to dedicate significant resources to protect access to safe, high-quality products for American consumers.
“I hope you find a moment today to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the enactment of this momentous law,” said AHPA President Michael McGuffin. “The law has enabled the supplement industry to benefit from and contribute to an evolution in U.S. health by providing greater personal health care choices for consumers and promoting healthy lifestyle choices that increase consumer wellness.”