The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, has adopted two sets of new voluntary guidelines: one focused on the formulation, labeling, and packaging of melatonin supplements for sleep support, and the other focusing on the labeling of gummy supplements.
According to CRN the updated melatonin guidelines provide recommendations addressing intentional overages during manufacturing, child-deterrent packaging, and precautionary label statements for melatonin-containing products. These guidelines were created to ensure that consumers have access to products that are responsibly formulated, labeled and packaged, said the organization.
With the growing popularity of gummy dietary supplements among consumers of all ages, CRN’s new guidelines for gummy supplements specifically address the unique aspects of these products. The new recommendations focus on labeling clarity, reducing unsupervised access by children, addressing potential choking hazards for small children, and ensuring products are used as intended.
Key Updated Recommendations for Melatonin Supplements:
- Labeling Instructions: The revised melatonin guidelines call for cautionary label statements alerting consumers that melatonin may cause drowsiness, not to take with alcohol, and that the products are intended for intermittent or occasional use only.
- Overages During Manufacturing: While recognizing that federal regulations require dietary supplement to contain at least 100 percent of their labeled amounts throughout shelf life, the guidelines recommend that any overages of melatonin added during manufacturing be informed by data to support stability and safety.
- Child deterrent packaging: While federal regulations do not require child deterrent closures for melatonin-containing products, CRN’s revised guidelines call for industry members to adopt child deterrent packaging for products containing melatonin that are in flavored chewable forms that could be especially attractive to children. This recommendation provides parents and caregivers with a tool to prevent unsupervised access to these products.
- CRN members are being asked to adopt these guidelines for melatonin-containing supplements within 18 months.
Key Recommendations for Gummy Supplements:
- Targeted Advisories: Detailed labeling advisories for products aimed at both adults and children include specific considerations for gummy supplements intended for young children and underscore the importance of using these products under appropriate conditions and guidance.
- Avoiding Potential Choking Hazards: For products intended for children under 4 years of age, the guidelines recommend a precautionary statement that if not chewed properly, the product could present a potential choking hazard.
- Packaging Considerations: The recommendations ask manufacturers to consider packaging gummy products in containers with child deterrent closures (e.g., by evaluating various product attributes like ingredient profiles, serving amounts, and total package contents, when making their packaging choices).
- CRN members are being asked to adopt these guidelines for gummy supplements within 24 months.
“These are just the latest in a series of Voluntary Guidelines that CRN members have adopted that underscore CRN’s unwavering commitment to the well-being of consumers and the integrity of the dietary supplement market,” said Steve Mister, CRN President and CEO. “By setting these high standards, we help our members offer products that are responsibly manufactured and marketed, and widely trusted by consumers.”
TWEET: CRN continues its focus on ensuring safe and effective supplements and related natural products for consumers with its voluntary guidelines for melatonin supplements and gummy supplements, both of which are highly popular consumer choices. #melatoninsupplements, #supplementsafety, #gummysupplements
Thorne Releases its 2024 Fear of Aging Report
Industry member Thorne has released a market research report, “Fear of Aging 2024.,” which polled 537 Americans aged 13-17 (Generation Alpha) and 2,408 adults over 18 (Generation Z, Millennials).
Through the “Fear of Aging” report, said Colin Watts, CEO, “we’re able to identify generational differences and the biggest motivators behind what Americans want and are willing to do as they think about aging throughout every age and life stage.”
He explained that the findings provide clarity on the primary aspects of aging that engender the most concerns while revealing the common ground many Americans share -- to take a proactive and personalized approach to their health. This common denominator galvanizes the vast opportunities for successful development and marketing of natural products of all types, provided they are supported by sound science, efficacy and safety.
According to the report, the youngest generation – Alpha – is hyper-connected and focused on enjoying their lives to the fullest -- 40% of Generation Alpha would feel better generally about aging if there was a positive shift in how society views aging. Of Gen Alpha respondents, 42% feel the worst effects of aging are physical limitations, 31% cite wrinkles and fine lines, 38% fear loss of memory and 20% fear appearing less attractive.
Their first steps are eating healthy and exercising (64%), taking supplements (43%) and prioritizing mental health and reducing stress (37%). Interestingly, today’s youth would spend R100 per month to slow aging (51%), compared to 24% of Millennials and 15% of Gen Z. The top sacrifice Gen Alpha would make to stay young is to go without using social media for a week (40%).
Americans overall have a fickle relationship with aging, according to the report. When asked how they feel about aging, nearly one third (32%) of Americans said “anxious/scared,” closely followed by “depressed or sad” at 25%. That stated, they are doing or are interested in doing whatever they can to stave off aging.
Besides physical limitations/lack of strength (59%), loss of memory (51%) and
vision and hearing loss (46%), Americans consider their value decreasing in society
(17%), wrinkles/fine lines (17%), appearing less attractive (15%) to others and graying
or thinning hair (15%) as among the top 4 worst effects of aging.
In the realm of beauty and aging, the conversation typically focused on erasing external signs of aging, such as appearance of skin and hair, with a greater emphasis on women. However, the study found, men may be more superficial. According to the data, to appear young, men are more willing than women to sacrifice:
A good credit score -- 12% vs. 9%; vacations -- 15% vs. 12%; a dream job -- 11% vs. 8%; and having children -- 12% vs. 9%.
Indeed, aging is inevitable, but we can, as an industry, truly help people across the globe live their best lives.
