Hidden Ingredients in Foods and “Dietary Supplements”

The Food and Drug Administration has identified more than 300 foods and “dietary supplement” products that contain hidden or deceptively labeled ingredients. These undeclared compounds include active ingredients in FDA-approved drugs or their analogs, unapproved and withdrawn drugs, novel synthetic steroids and other chemicals that are not dietary ingredients. Common categories include products for weight loss, sexual enhancement and body building. Unlike new drugs, dietary supplements are not reviewed and approved by FDA before they are marketed. In general, companies are responsible for ensuring their products are safe and that any claims are substantiated and truthful. When safety issues are suspected or confirmed with marketed products, FDA must investigate to identify the responsible individuals and when warranted, take steps to have the product removed from the market.

In recent years, FDA has taken numerous regulatory and enforcement actions to identify and remove tainted products from the marketplace. These actions include working with firms to recall more than 200 tainted products, issuance of warning letters and import alerts, seizure of products and criminal prosecutions. FDA has issued numerous public alerts and consumer education materials to inform consumers and healthcare professionals about the serious public health threat posed by these products. In addition, FDA is working with dietary supplement trade associations to inform the industry and to help develop new strategies to combat this problem.