ODS Dietary Supplement Label Database modernized

The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has recently modernized the Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD), a public repository of dietary supplement labeling information.

Initially released to the public in 2013, the DSLD now catalogues nearly 130,000 dietary supplement labels, including 76,000 supplements that are currently on the market in the United States. The updated DSLD clearly communicates whether products are on or off the market and documents the date of label collection. The database also allows users to filter products by ingredient category (including “Botanical”), supplement form, target consumer base, and by numerous other defined criteria. Improved image formatting allows full labels to be visible immediately from search results. Dietary ingredients are also now assigned unique ingredient identifiers, part of a generally harmonized system developed by FDA’s Global Substance Registration System. Full details of the DSLD modernization are documented in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis.

“The Dietary Supplement Label Database has been a valuable resource since its inception,” said American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) President Michael McGuffin. “AHPA established a policy in 2015 encouraging members that market supplement products under their own brands to submit labels for inclusion in the DSLD or in the Supplement Online Wellness Library. These new features will make it even easier for industry to help consumers and regulators access a comprehensive record of products in the marketplace.” AHPA submitted comments to ODS in December 2015 requesting improvements to the DSLD, such as specific identification of product forms and clearer identification of on or off-market status. Many of these requests have been implemented in the updated system.