Amazon recently updated its policies related to selling certain dietary supplements on its platforms. Starting in April, dietary supplement products related to sexual enhancement, sports/bodybuilding, and weight management will need to be verified through a third-party testing organization.
Supplement sellers have traditionally faced very few requirements in terms of safety testing and certification. But the FDA recently identified products within these categories as potentially high risk for consumers, posting the following warning: “When you buy such products, you may actually be getting an illegal product; and that product may contain potentially dangerous ingredients that are not on the label.”
These new requirements only apply to those selling on Amazon. But about 77 percent of e-commerce supplement sales in these categories in the U.S. come from Amazon. So, this change can represent a major shift in the market.
For those who already sell supplements on Amazon, your dashboard should include updates about any products that will now require this certification. Amazon may remove listings if you do not confirm them as being compliant with this new policy by the specified due date. And those who are considering selling on the platform should know that these regulations are part of the process. In fact, the recent comments from the FDA may signal similar requirements from those selling on other platforms in the future.
The need for safety regulations in this market is clear. In fact, the recent FDA warning cited several instances of potentially harmful side effects of products that are not tested and/or labeled properly. So this change may certainly help consumers purchase these products with more confidence.
But of course, increased regulations can also lead to burdens for businesses, especially small sellers that don’t have the same resources as larger competitors. Understanding these requirements going into your venture can help you build these processes into your operations and ideally meet all the requirements needed to keep customers safe while also building a successful business in a competitive field.
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