On April 20, U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter, MD (D-OR) introduced a new Dietary Supplement Listing Act to require dietary supplement manufacturers to register their products with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A similar bill was previously introduced in 2024 and then reintroduced in 2026 by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL).
The Dietary Supplement Listing Act would require companies to provide FDA with common sense yet critical information about their products including product names, a list of all ingredients, an electronic copy of the label, allergen statements and health and structure/function claims.
Since the passing of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, the dietary supplement market has exploded. According to Dexter, annual supplement sales have increased to more than $50 billion and more than 75 percent of American adults use a dietary supplement. She added “these products are not without risk” and claimed the actual number of reported “adverse events” exceeds 50,000.
“More than three-quarters of Americans take dietary supplements. As a physician, I’ve seen countless patients assume these products are vetted for safety,” Dexter said. “Unfortunately, our regulatory bodies don’t have access to the most basic information about these products. My common-sense legislation brings transparency to consumers and regulators alike to keep our communities safe.”
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and Natural Products Association (NPA) responded to the new bill.
AHPA President and CEO Graham Rigby said, “AHPA remains committed to fostering a transparent, innovative dietary supplement industry that prioritizes public health. We welcome additional Congressional interest in modernizing the regulatory framework for our industry; however, while we do not oppose the concept of product listing in principle, we cannot support a proposal that would require companies to add a listing number to product labels without significant changes. We will continue our direct engagement with Congress to develop meaningful, common-sense reforms that increase accountability and meet the needs of today’s dietary supplement marketplace and consumers.”
“For too long, gaps in visibility have allowed bad actors to exploit the marketplace—introducing adulterated or misbranded products that undermine consumer trust and tarnish the reputation of responsible companies. A federal dietary supplement registry is a commonsense solution designed to shine sunlight into the marketplace, enabling FDA to more efficiently identify problems and for retailers to better curate their offerings with quality products,” said CRN President and CEO Steve Mister. “Arguments suggesting FDA already has sufficient visibility ignore a fundamental reality: the agency itself has repeatedly stated it does not have a comprehensive view of products currently on the market. Product listing directly addresses that gap without altering the fundamental framework of DSHEA or restricting consumer access.”
“This misguided bill would only divert critical resources away from scientific research, product innovation and quality improvements, ultimately slowing development of the next generation of dietary supplements that consumers rely on to promote their health,” said Daniel Fabricant, PhD, president and CEO of NPA. “At a time when U.S. policymakers should be focused on clarifying regulations and strengthening federal uniformity, this bill is in search of a problem and would create unnecessary requirements, increase the risks of frivolous litigation, and undermine innovation across the industry.”
For more information, visit www.ahpa.org, www.crnusa.org or www.npanational.org.
