Hatch, McCain reach agreement over Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010

WASHINGTON Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and John McCain, R-Ariz., have come to an agreement around McCain’s Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010 (S. 3002) where McCain will not support revisiting or revising the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, according to a letter from Hatch to McCain last week.

“I want to thank you for agreeing to withdraw your support for the provisions of S. 3002 that I believe would do great harm to the dietary supplement industry,” Hatch wrote. “More than 100 million Americans regularly consumer dietary supplements as a means of improving and maintaining healthy lifestyles. Therefore, continued access to these products is extremely important to them.”

Hatch and McCain appear to be joining forces, instead, in calling for full enforcement of existing laws, such as DSHEA.

Late last month, the Council for Responsible Nutrition voiced industry concerns around S. 3002, suggesting that the bill, if passed, may have unintended consequences, including forcing some supplements with a long record of safety off the market.

However, even though it appears that revisiting industry regulation may be off the table, supplement manufacturers should still be communicating with their legislators advised John Gay, CEO and executive director for the Natural Product Association. “[S. 3002] was a wake-up call for the industry, and we had better not fall back asleep,” he said. “Other members of Congress could pick up where McCain … left off. We need to keep up the pressure on Congress, and let them know that S.3002 and bills like it are not acceptable.”