Immune Support Trends in Dietary Supplements
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) stunned the world since its emergence in late 2019. The infectious and deadly virus caused more than 216 million cases and 4.5 million deaths worldwide as of the end of August 2021.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not endorsed the use of any vitamins, minerals, herbs, or other dietary supplements as treatment or prevention for COVID-19. However, this doesn't stop consumers from purchasing products with supposed immune health claims on supplement labels.
As such, producers have a pressing need to understand and comply with the FDA dietary supplement guidance before they make immune support claims for their dietary supplements. Their products need to undergo thorough testing to ensure that they meet the FDA guidance and ensure proper product packaging and labeling.
Immune Support Supplements Market Trends and Predictions
The Nutritional Business Journal reports a staggering growth in the consumption of dietary supplements in the US in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The journal also predicts that the US supplement industry will experience a permanent lift in annual sales in the coming years, even up to $66.24 billion in 2024.
According to an article published in Nutritional Outlook, sales of supplements with ingredients like vitamin C, D, Zinc, and elderberry soared during the onset of the pandemic. Elderberry products increased over 170% in 2020 while Zinc increased by 255%. Both adult and children's multivitamins also saw higher sales.
FDA Guidance on Dietary Supplement Claims
According to US FDA, products that include vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, organ tissues, and/or metabolites, as well as extracts and concentrates in the form of tablets, capsules, gels, liquids, or powders can be considered dietary supplements. Whatever form they are, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 places these products under foods, not drugs. As such, they should be labeled as dietary supplement.
Further, manufacturers have the responsibility to ensure the products' safety and that the claims are substantiated by adequate evidence. Except for dietary ingredients sold before October 15, 1994, dietary supplements need the FDA's approval before they are marketed.
Manufacturers of immune support supplements need to comply with evidence standards based on the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to ensure that any claims on their dietary supplements are truthful and not misleading. Under the act, the FDA is in charge of the safety and labeling of dietary supplements while the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has jurisdiction over advertisements of the dietary supplements.
As such, manufacturers should be familiar with DSHEA's and FTC's requirements on dietary supplements. Any immune-supportive claims should be supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence, including tests, analyses, researches, studies, or evidence based on the expertise of professionals in the relevant field. The tests should be done by qualified individuals using standard procedures.
The FTC suggests that manufacturers consider the following factors when making claims about their products:
- Do the pieces of evidence obtained bear a relationship to the specific claims about the products?
- How reliable was the provided evidence? How was the study conducted? How was the data analyzed? Is there a possibility of biases? Is the evidence peer-reviewed?
- If multiple studies exist, does the most reliable methodology suggest the particular outcome of interest?
- Does the totality of the evidence agree with the claims of the product? If multiple studies exist, what was the result of the majority of the studies?
Product Testing for Immune Supportive Supplements
Proper product testing ensures the quality and safety of your immune-supportive supplements. To ensure the validity of your products' claims, partner with a trusted laboratory, like Eurofins. We navigate the unique complexities of testing supplemental nutritional products with our state-of-the-art testing process, including:
- Ingredient Verification
- Botanical ID and Potency
- Specialty Vitamin & Amino Acid Analysis
- USP Microbiology
- Shelf Life & Stability
Make sure your supplement and functional food products comply with FDA labeling guidance. Partner with Eurofins for a customizable, accurate, and consistent analysis of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, botanicals, and contaminants in your immune-supportive supplements. Our scientific experts deliver the most accurate results using reliable testing methods. For more questions about supplements and functional foods testing, contact Eurofins today.
