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FDA cracks down on bogus health claims
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The bold claims made on the labels of some food products and dietary supplements will have to be backed up by science from now on. Officials Wednesday announced a new initiative to both encourage companies to make accurate claims about the health benefits of their products, and to prevent companies from making bogus ones. The Food and Drug Administration will require companies to show that "the weight of scientific evidence" supports claims they make on product labeling. Authorities intend to crack down on companies that make false or misleading claims about dietary supplements. As evidence of that, the FDA announced Wednesday that federal marshals had seized $100,000 worth of a product called EverCLR, a dietary supplement. EverCLR was marketed by a California company that made unsubstantiated claims it was a "natural" treatment for viruses, including the herpes virus, the FDA said. Products that do workAs part of the initiative, health officials also want to alert consumers about products that do work as advertised. "Food choices affect health outcomes, and consumers need to have the latest, most up-to-date scientific information in making their food choices," FDA Commissioner Dr. Mark McClellan said. John Fowler of U.S. Pharmacopeia, the company that tests the quality of drugs for the FDA, said it will offer an independent testing program for dietary supplements to verify that they are what they claim to be and that they contain no harmful contaminants. As many as 60 percent of Americans report taking some kind of dietary supplement, including vitamins and herbs, which are not regulated in the same way as pharmaceuticals. Companies generally do not need to get FDA approval before marketing a dietary supplement.
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