Blumenthal, Durbin Statement on DOJ, Federal Agencies Bringing Criminal and Civil Charges Against More Than 100 Dietary Supplement Makers and Marketers

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) issued the following statement after the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that, along with numerous federal agencies, it is pursuing criminal and civil charges against over 100 makers and marketers of dietary supplements for fraudulent claims:

“The breadth and scope of today’s sweeping enforcement actions against a broad range of dietary supplement manufacturers illustrates how frequently consumers are being deceived about the safety, quality, purity, and origin of the supplements they take every day. While we are pleased to learn of this unprecedented cooperation among the Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, Food and Drug Administration, and many other federal agencies, news of these actions further supports the need for comprehensive federal regulation to truly protect consumers from both intentional, serious harm and misleading health claims from dietary supplement manufacturers. We will be re-introducing comprehensive legislation to address deleterious gaps in oversight and transparency in the dietary supplement industry and will continue working with all agencies to ensure consumers are better protected.

“Furthermore, we commend the Department of Defense for taking meaningful action to educate military personnel, but more needs to be done to protect them from the riskiest dietary supplements - many of which should not be sold on military installations at all.”

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