When you purchase supplements, it is the responsibility of the Supplement Manufacturing Company to ensure that they are providing quality and standardized products that match the label description. There are a number of manufactures who always follow these standards, providing only the highest quality and properly labeled supplements to consumers. However, there are less than honest supplement manufactures who are much less careful, offering supplements that contain very few or even none of the products that are included on the label. There are some supplements that even contain a dose that is larger than what is one the label.
How these Rules Affect Supplements and Herbs
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, all dietary supplements must follow a set of standards that are referred to as Good Manufacturing Practices, which means that the supplement must:
- Include a label of ingredients that are actually included in this product
- Not contain any type of impurities or contaminants
- Be produced in a manner that is considered quality
These guidelines were updated last in 2010 and companies will continue selling their product in the same way; however, the supplements will be much more likely to contain what is actually listed on their label. The guidelines that have been established are also designed to address the quality of the process used for manufacturing the supplements and ensuring they have an accurate listing of ingredients.
It is also important that you realize what the guidelines will not do, which includes:
- The will not limit the access that consumers have to supplements
- The will not address the overall safety of the ingredients of the supplement
- They will not address the effects that supplements have on a person’s body
Even with these facts, the quality and improvement in the accuracy of supplement labels should make them much less likely to cause any type of harm or adverse effects when a manufacturing company follows the rules.
You should also remember, like any other laws, the guidelines established by the DHHS will not hinder any criminal or dishonest sellers from selling their supplements with a false labels. There are still news stories regarding products that are sold as “all natural” but that actually have drugs and other harmful substances present. This is why ample research about a supplement is necessary prior to making a purchase, as it will protection your health and well-being.
