On January 8, 2013 the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reversed a statement it previously made in a December 19, 2012 article regarding the adverse effects of energy drinks.   In the December article, JAMA misrepresented FDA’s regulatory control over the energy drink market by claiming that FDA does not regulate energy drinks.  JAMA has now corrected its position to concede that “energy drinks are regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration.” Although JAMA revised its position, it did not specifically point out the correction to its readership.

This example represents one of the many ways in which media sources tend to misrepresent the regulatory framework regarding dietary supplements to make it appear as if FDA has no oversight in the industry.  With the passage of DSHEA almost 20 years ago, it is clear that this is not the case.  We hope that other media outlets will use JAMA’s mistake to ensure that their stories are thoroughly researched before publication to ensure truthful reporting of news in the dietary supplement and functional food industries.