Nanotech and Your Daily Vitamins

Wednesday, January 14, 2009, 9:30 – 10:30 AM

5th Floor Conference Room - Directions

WASHINGTON - Historically, the regulation of dietary supplements has been a significant challenge for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the fact that some of these products are now being manufactured using nanotechnology creates an additional layer of complexity.

A new report to be released at this event will address the question: Is FDA equipped to meet the emerging regulatory challenge of dietary supplements that use engineered nanomaterials? The short answer is no.

The FDA’s ability to regulate the safety of dietary supplements using nanomaterials is severely limited by lack of information, lack of resources and the agency’s lack of statutory authority in certain critical areas, according to a new Project report: A Hard Pill to Swallow: Barriers to Effective FDA Regulation of Nanotechnology-Based Dietary Supplements.

Authors William B. Schultz and Lisa Barclay - noted food and drug law experts - will offer legislative and other detailed recommendations for how FDA can tackle concerns posed by the use of nanomaterials in dietary supplements.