Washington, D.C., November 17, 2015—In response to today’s press conference led by the Department of Justice announcing sweeping criminal and civil actions related to unlawful advertising and sale of dietary supplements, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association representing the dietary supplement and food industry, issued the following statement:
Statement by Steve Mister, president/CEO, CRN:
“We are grateful to the Department of Justice, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission and other government agencies for taking an important step today toward protecting consumers and responsible dietary supplement companies by taking strong enforcement actions against companies that do not follow the laws and put consumers at risk. These actions should serve as a strong warning to any company selling products in the dietary supplement space that if you’re going to engage in illegal activity, you’re going to pay the price.
In May of this year, CRN reached out to the Department of Justice, noting our concerns that companies engaging in blatant criminal activity were presenting a serious public health risk and hijacking the credibility of the reputable industry. We urged the Department of Justice to use all available tools to hold transgressors fully accountable for their actions. Today our request—on behalf of the responsible industry—was addressed.
These actions both help consumers navigate the market to avoid products that may do them harm, and also level the playing field for responsible companies who do things right. We pledge our support to help the government on this important initiative.”