FDA’s Food And Dietary Supplements

The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is the branch of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), which is responsible for ensuring the safety and accurate labeling of nearly all food products in the United States. One exception is products derived from traditional domesticated animals, such as cattle and chickens, which fall under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. FDA regulates products, which contain minimal amounts of meat, and the exact boundaries are listed in a memorandum of understanding between the two agencies. However, FDA regulates medicines and other products given to all domesticated animals through a different branch, the Center for Veterinary Medicine. Other consumables, which are not regulated by the FDA, include beverages containing more than 7% alcohol, and non-bottled drinking water.

The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 mandated that the FDA regulate dietary supplements as foods, rather than as drugs. Therefore, dietary supplements are not subject to safety and efficacy testing and there are no approval requirements. FDA can take action against dietary supplements only after they are proven to be unsafe. Manufacturers of dietary supplements are permitted to make specific claims of health benefits, referred to as "structure or function claims" on the labels of these products. They may not claim to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease and must include a disclaimer on the label.The FDA regulates bottled water in America. State governments also regulate bottled water. State and local regulations, as well as the United States EPA regulate tap water. FDA regulations of bottled water generally follow the guidelines established by the EPA, and new EPA rules automatically apply to bottled water if the FDA does not release an explicit new rule. Water bottlers in the US are subject to inspection similar to other food firms, but quality controls for the bottled water industry are not nearly as stringent as those for municipal water supplies.


Related Links:
Drug test
Marijuana drug test