Amway Survey Shows US Consumers Commonly Believe Supplements Have Premarket Approval

A recent survey for direct-selling giant Amway Corp. found that nearly half the respondents say its Nutrilite line and other dietary supplements are approved by the Food and Drug Administration before being made available to US consumers.

The results of Amway’s “Habits and Healthspan” survey conducted online in August by Ipsos also confirmed the estimate commonly made by the supplement industry and by regulators for the number of US consumers using vitamin, mineral and supplement products. The Ada, MI-based firm’s survey of 1,000 consumers ages 18 to 70, including 250 Spanish-speaking Hispanic persons, found that 77% said they take at least one supplement daily.

In its 11 November announcement, Amway said that “despite this widespread use, nearly half of respondents – 47% – mistakenly believe that the FDA approves these products before they are sold to the public.”

In a chart detailing respondents’ knowledge, Amway explains that “a key reason for this widespread misconception” is that vitamin, mineral and supplement products “are regulated differently than prescription medicines in the US” (see chart).

The chart adds that under regulations in the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, supplement manufacturers and marketers “are responsible for ensuring their products are safe and accurately labeled and that any claims made are truthful and can be substantiated.”

While noting the FD&C Act, Amway’s chart doesn’t explain that supplements are regulated as food products with rules specifically for vitamin, mineral and supplement manufacturing, labeling and marketing established by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act passed in 1994.

In addition to imposing good manufacturing practices regulations, DSHEA established that dietary ingredients already available were deemed generally regarded as safe and could remain available and that ingredients introduced after its passage must be notified to the FDA, within 75 days of being offered for sale, with reasonable assurance of proof of GRAS for their intended uses.

The efficacy of the new dietary ingredient notification requirement is questioned by supplement industry stakeholders as well as the FDA and critics of the industry.

Authority to require registration of every vitamin, mineral and supplement product available in the US has been requested by FDA officials and has some support in Congress, although industry stakeholders have stated either limited or no agreement with the proposal.

However, stakeholders and the agency are quick to point out that manufacturers and marketers’ GMP regulations compliance has become generally strong and to refute assertions that supplement products are available without FDA regulation. Amway says its survey showed consumers increasingly are prioritizing sustainability as two out of three respondents said they were “more inclined to buy supplements that offer traceability in which products can be tracked from source to shelf.”

“Without FDA approval, consumers must rely on their own research to evaluate and identify trustworthy brands. The focus on a company’s traceability and sustainability practices has become a crucial factor in their purchasing decisions,” notes Will Templeton, Amway’s head of sustainability.

The Nutrilite line was launched in 1939 by Carl Rehnborg from his research on the link between nutrition and health and his development of a “balanced, plant-based vitamin, mineral and phytonutrient product,” according to Amway’s website. The firm, which launched in 1959, acquired the brand in 1959.

In addition to Nutrilite, Amway’s provides independent distributors with XS energy and sports nutrition products; Artistry, G&H, Glister and Satinique cosmetics; and Amway Home, Atmosphere, eCook and iSpring household care products.