– Reaffirms support of Biden/Hatch Legislation –

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 11, 2004 – The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), one of the dietary supplement industry’s leading trade associations, issued the following statement in response to a joint press conference held today by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Sens. Joseph Biden (D-Delaware) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on steroid hormone precursors.

Statement by Annette Dickinson, Ph.D., President:

The Council for Responsible Nutrition is supportive of FDA’s action today on steroid hormone precursors such as androstenedione as it demonstrates the kind of strong enforcement authority available to the agency under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).   Under the law which regulates the dietary supplement industry, companies introducing “new dietary ingredients” that were not “grandfathered” as of Oct. 15, 1994, are required to provide a 75-day notice to FDA and submit evidence that the ingredient is reasonably expected to be safe.  If companies have not complied with the law and are therefore not legitimately marketing these products as dietary supplements, FDA’s strong regulatory actions are justified.

CRN and other industry trade associations strongly support DSHEA as an appropriate framework for regulating the dietary supplement industry and urge FDA’s full implementation of the law.   Strong and consistent enforcement by FDA shows that dietary supplements are regulated and helps instill consumer confidence in the industry and its products. 

CRN today also reaffirms our support of the ‘Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2003,’ (S. 1780), legislation introduced by Sens. Biden and Hatch that would effectively prohibit the marketing of steroid hormone precursors such as androstenedione by classifying them as Schedule III controlled substances.  

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The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing dietary supplement industry ingredient suppliers and manufacturers.  CRN members adhere to a strong code of ethics, comply with dosage limits and manufacture dietary supplements to high quality standards under good manufacturing practices.