Number: 270 Topic: Control of Food Supplements <desc> Description: Should the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) exercise more stringent control over the labelling and sale of food supplements. <narr> Narrative: Food supplements include vitamins, herbal preparations, minerals and amino acids. It is estimated that nearly half of all Americans take some dietary supplement every day. Until recent years there has been little concern that there has been no federal rules covering this four billion dollar a year industry. The government has become concerned with the purity of the products, and points to deaths and injuries which have occurred because of the contamination of certain supplements. The government is also concerned about the exaggerated claims made for some products, and the lack of warning labels on the products. Those who take the opposite side of the argument say that the FDA wants to eventually control supplements as if they were drugs. Any item which addresses either side of the argument would be relevant.