Melatonin Manufacturers Urged to Adopt New Packaging and Labeling Rules Following Uptick in Hospitalizations Among Children
By Trisha Andrada
Apr 17, 2024 06:13 AM EDT
Apr 17, 2024 06:13 AM EDT
New melatonin safety measures were issued Monday, April 15, by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), and supplement makers are encouraged to put these recommendations into practice.
"By setting these high standards, we help our members offer products that are responsibly manufactured and marketed, and widely trusted by consumers," council president and CEO Steve Mister said, as reported by USA Today.
Here are the recommendations for melatonin supplements:
Voluntary guidelines for packaging of gummy form supplements:
The first set of rules is expected to be adopted within 18 months, and the second set within 24 months. The council is urging its members and the industry at large to embrace them as quickly as possible.
Melatonin dietary supplement formulation, labeling, and packaging are the primary areas of attention for the new standards. The labeling of gummy dietary supplements, which is especially important for children's safety, is another area of emphasis.
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The new guidelines follow a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States last month. The CDC found that nearly 11,000 American children who took melatonin unsupervised ended up in the emergency room between the years 2019 and 2022.
Last year, researchers examined 25 different melatonin products and discovered that most of them had incorrect labels. It turned out that some had over 300% more melatonin than was specified on the label.
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