Certified Dietary Supplements

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The U.S. dietary supplement industry has grown into a multibillion dollar industry over the recent years. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics indicates that the industry was worth $36.7 billion dollars in 2014. As future Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, it is important to understand the regulatory standards and quality certification programs for dietary supplements to ensure the safety of the public.  Because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not establish standards for dietary supplements, there is very little standardization.  Essentially, anyone off the street can start his or her own supplement company and sell you a powder/pill with their proprietary blend “formulized for maximum potency.”  With this in mind, it is important to opt for dietary supplements with third-party certifications.  The gold standard certifications to be on the lookout for are US Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), NSF International, and ConsumerLab (CL).  All three parties issue standards that require dietary supplements to pass quality, safety, performance, and claim parameters individually set by each governing party.  Regardless of workplace setting, questions about dietary supplements are bound to come up.  RDN’s can help keep the public safe, and informed. 

Akabas, Sharon R. et al. (2016). Quality Certification Programs for Dietary Supplements
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Volume 116, Issue 9, 1378-1379.

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