FDA backs off on supplements

WASHINGTON - Responding to public and political pressure, the FDA last week published a final rule on "structure/function" claims for dietary supplements that allows a broader range of claims than the agency originally proposed.

The rule sets criteria for making marketing claims under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). The law prohibits claims that food supplements can treat diseases or health conditions unless manufacturers have met the safety and efficacy standards applicable to drugs, but it allows assertions that such products affect the structure or function of the body...