The last quarter of 2009 was the most challenging time for the supplements industry. It was not due to the declining sales but to the reports that many manufacturers sell products which are tainted with steroids. This is what the FDA is trying to stop and warned people about taking dietary supplements. Several distribution companies also cooperated with the agency by recalling their products which were found out containing traces of steroids or with undeclared steroid ingredients.

Congressional hearings were also conducted to know the extent of the problem in the supplements industry. Representatives from the FDA, DEA and the US Anti-Doping Agency were some of the resource person during the hearing. The supplements industry is also supportive of the effort of the lawmakers since it will help clean their industry with unscrupulous manufacturers.

After a long debate on the terms and the proposed scope of the legislation, Senator Orrin Hatch finally presented the new bill to make the supplements industry free from harmful steroids. It was co-sponsored by Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa. “This legislation puts common-sense steps in place to ensure that FDA notifies the DEA if it finds that the new dietary ingredient being evaluated contains an anabolic steroid,” Senator Hatch said.

The new bill was considered by USADA Chief Travis Tygart as a good initiative from the lawmakers. It will fill the gaps in the law and help protect the consumers said Tygart. The Hatch-Harkin bill is a consolidation of the suggestions and proposals from the different stakeholders in the supplements industry. The initiative of Senator John McCain for stricter laws in the industry was also considered.

The Hatch-Harkin Bill, which was presented to the Senate Special Committee on Aging last week, will strengthen the cooperation between the FDA and the DEA. It will require the FDA to inform the DEA of companies found to have products tainted with steroids. It was revealed in the senate hearing that the 2 agencies failed to provide each other with necessary information related to the tainted supplements issue. The bill will also urge the Food and Drug Administration to create and implement rules on determining or identifying new dietary ingredients. They are also mandated to conduct tests and determine the safety of these ingredients.

The lawmakers also proposed that dietary supplement companies should register their products with the FDA. Once this bill becomes a law, the FDA is expected to have more authority in recalling products which are found to contain anabolic steroids or steroid like substances.

Player’s association of major sports organizations like the MLB and NFL also support this bill. There are already many cases of professional athletes who failed a steroid test because of tainted dietary supplements. Most often, the supplements contain substances which are banned by professional leagues but these are not disclosed in the label.

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