Dietary Supplement Update

US senators reach agreement on more modest dietary supplement safeguards.
The Salt Lake Tribune (3/11, Canham) reported that a "few days ago," Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) "stepped away from a tougher" bill on dietary supplement safety "because of the concerns expressed by Sen. Orrin Hatch, who is a major supporter of the...industry." Now, however, the "senators have reached an agreement on more modest dietary supplement safeguards that would make it easier to crackdown on products that could hurt people." Some of the "common ground" areas that will appear in the measure include requiring that all supplement companies "register with the federal government," making sure the FDA has "the ability to issue 'a mandatory recall order,'" and insisting that the agency "notify the Drug Enforcement Administration if they find an ingredient contains a steroid."