Half of the 450 dietary-supplement firms the FDA has inspected since 2008 have failed to adhere to 2007 regulations regarding supplement production, packing and storage. A quarter of the 1,400 firms in the $28 billion dietary-supplement industry were sent warning letters. In 2012, two-thirds of the 200 firms the FDA has inspected have violated regulations. The violations, including unhygienic facilities and a lack of “master manufacturing records,” have been linked with health issues. The FDA does not regulate dietary supplements’ effectiveness or safety but can control how they are made, ensure a firm does not make false statements about a product and act if it considers a supplement to be a risk.

Source: Chicago Tribune