In mid-December 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to dietary supplement manufacturers regarding undeclared or deceptively labeled ingredients in products marketed as dietary supplements.

These substances include the active ingredients in FDA-approved drugs or their analogs (closely related drugs), or other compounds, such as novel synthetic steroids, that do not qualify as dietary ingredients. FDA's letter emphasizes that manufacturers and distributors are responsible for ensuring that their products comply with the law.

"These tainted products can cause serious adverse effects, including strokes, organ failure, and death," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. "The manufacturers selling these tainted products are operating outside the law." FDA is seeking input and collaboration from dietary supplement trade associations to educate the industry about this problem and to help develop new strategies to combat it, according to Hamburg. http://www.healthcarepackaging.com/archives/2011/02/tainted_products_marketed_as_d.php