Washington, DC—The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) announced new Voluntary Guidelines for Industry designed to assure that online customers have access to the same product information available to those who shop in store. CRN said the recommendations align with recent draft guidelines being developed by the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (which sets standards and guidelines for nutrition information on food packages) and call on brand marketers and online retailers to provide consumers with essential product information for dietary supplements and functional food.
“CRN and its members recognize that consumers planning to purchase a dietary supplement via online platforms should have access to the same information to read, review, compare and make a purchasing decision as if that person was standing in their neighborhood store, able to hold the physical package and read its label,” said Jim Griffiths, Ph.D., CRN Senior Vice President, International and Regulatory Affairs, in a press release. “Choosing to purchase these products online should not decrease one’s ability to obtain product information to make buying decisions.”
About CRN's Guidelines for e-Commerce:
- The product’s name
- List of ingredients including all dietary ingredients as listed in the Supplements Facts panel and other ingredients
- List of allergens
- Net quantity of contents expressed as weight, measure or numerical count (e.g., pills/capsules/gels)
- Name and address of the producer
- Instructions for use such as dosing instructions, including any warning/cautionary statements that appear on the label
- If a structure/function claim is made, the FDA DSHEA disclaimer statement in the statute should be displayed on the webpage: “This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”