Companies generally have one year to ensure products comply with new Proposition 65 requirements

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently updated language on several pages of its website to more accurately describe illegal, drug-spike products and to remove references to these as dietary supplements after the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) requested the changes.

The final rules establish enforceable safety standards for produce farms -- Produce Safety rule -- and make importers accountable for verifying that imported food meets U.S. safety standards -- Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) rule. FDA also issued a rule establishing a program for the accreditation of third-party certification bodies, also known as auditors, to conduct food safety audits of foreign food facilities -- Accredited Third-Party Certification rule.

In response to four Citizen Petitions and the evolution of food ingredients, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is soliciting comments on the use of the term "natural" on food labeling.

"The existing Dietary Supplement Label Database is an effective platform to provide consumers with the same type of information that would be provided by mandatory product registration," said AHPA President Michael McGuffin.

Editor's Note: Former FDA official Joshua Sharfstein is calling for a new regulatory framework for dietary supplements. In an article published in Drug Testing and Analysis, Sharfstein and his co-author, Akshay Kapoor, allege that the regulation of dietary supplements has not kept up with changes and risks in the market, which has ultimately led to policy gridlock. He proposes a conceptual shift from 'benefit versus risk' to 'access with safety,' which includes registration of all dietary supplements, a disclaimer on the limited role of FDA in evaluating product claims, standardized laboratory techniques, and clearer authority for the agency when safety concerns arise.

AHPA presented three webinars as part of its recently launched kombucha education program aimed at encouraging and supporting compliance with kombucha manufacturing, labeling, and sales regulations

Editor's Note: This review and analysis of cannabinoids for medical use found moderate-quality evidence to support the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic pain and spasticity. There was low-quality evidence suggesting that cannabinoids were associated with improvements in nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, weight gain in HIV, sleep disorders, and Tourette syndrome. Cannabinoids were associated with an increased risk of short-term adverse events.