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Thank you Jennifer Dinsmore, RD for sharing a valuable link to StillTasty where you will find the ulitimate "Shelf Life Guide" for thousands of food items.
email or call me at the office 916-364-5300.
Janet Montano, RD Director of Menu Services |
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Greetings!
Read on for current information regarding the labeling of and FDA guidelines regarding dietary supplements. |
Is it a Food, Dietary Supplement or Drug? |
 That's what the FDA is trying to figure out. We have all seen the vitamin waters, energy drinks, tea with herbal ingredients, and juices with herbal and vitamin enhancements. So do they need nutrition labels, dietary supplement labels or drug labels?
This RDNews will give you some excerpts from an FDA guidance on the issue which is intended to assist dietary supplement and beverage manufacturers and distributors in reaching a determination as to whether a liquid product may be labeled and marketed as a dietary supplement. Guidances describe the FDA's current thinking on a topic. For the entire Guidance, click here.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has observed and become concerned about two trends in the marketing of beverages:
- An increase in the marketing of beverages as dietary supplements, in spite of the fact that the packaging and labeling of many liquid products represent the products as conventional foods.
- A growth in the marketplace of beverages and other conventional foods that contain novel ingredients, such as added botanical ingredients or their extracts.
Some of these ingredients have not previously been used in conventional foods and may be unapproved food additives. Ingredients that have been present in the food supply for many years are now being added to beverages and foods at levels in excess of their traditional use levels. This trend raises questions regarding whether these ingredients are unapproved food additives when used at higher levels. The term "dietary supplement" means a product that "is not represented for use as a conventional food or as a sole item of a meal or the diet."
FDA considers a liquid product's name, packaging, serving size, and recommended conditions of use, as well as other representations about the product, to be important determinants of whether the product is represented as a conventional food and may not be marketed as a dietary supplement. Many ingredients intentionally added to beverages and other conventional foods are food additives. Food additives require pre-market approval based on data demonstrating safety submitted to FDA in a food additive petition. A substance is exempt from the definition of a food additive and thus, from pre-market approval, if, among other reasons, it is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by qualified experts under the conditions of intended use. FDA is concerned that some of the novel ingredients that are being added to beverages and other conventional foods may cause the food to be adulterated because these added ingredients are not being used in accordance with an approved food additive regulation and may not be GRAS for their intended use. A "drug" is defined to include articles intended to affect the structure or function of the body. This provision contains an exception for foods, which affect the structure and function of the body by virtue of providing nutrition to sustain life and health. "Food" is defined as "(1) articles used for food or drink for man or other animals, (2) chewing gum, and (3) articles used for components of any such article". If a structure/function claim promotes a product for a use other than providing taste, aroma or nutritive value, such as blocking the absorption of carbohydrates in the gut, the claim may cause the product to be a drug by changing its primary use. If a labeling claim about the effect of a beverage or other conventional food on the structure or function of the body also states or implies that the product is useful in treating, mitigating, curing, or diagnosing a disease, the claim subjects the product to regulation as a drug. Labeling requirements for beverages and foods are also different than labeling requirements for dietary supplements and drugs.
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RD Tip |
 When interviewing and visiting your residents, take note of any dietary supplements they may have at bedside, including beverages that claim to be dietary supplements. Read the labels for the ingredients and quantities provided per serving. Some of the ingredients may have effects on their other medications, or provide vitamins and minerals above the DRI or be contraindicated with a specific disease condition. Bring any concerns to the IDT or Nursing supervisor about potential issues with the dietary supplements. |
Dear Dietitian |
Your role in the well being of the residents overlaps in so many different ways. Thank you for your vigilance in monitoring the multi-faceted avenues for nutritional intake that our residents have! Sincerely,
Judy Morgan, MBA, RDHM Composite |
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