Guidance Regarding the Recommendation and Sale of Dietary Supplements

Effective July 2020

The "Guidelines Regarding the Recommendation and Sale of Dietary Supplements," which had previously been in effect have been updated and replaced with newer guidance. The current "Guidance Regarding the Recommendation and Sale of Dietary Supplements" should be considered as recommendations for best practice. Individual practitioners are advised to review the Academy/CDR Code of Ethics for the Nutrition and Dietetics Profession, as well as consult experts in their area regarding the legal and regulatory issues specific to their location of practice.

A partial list of resources relating to dietary supplements is included below. For additional information and resources, consult the Ethics in Practice article, "Guidance Regarding the Recommendation and Sale of Dietary Supplements", which has been published in the July issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

• Download "Guidance Regarding the Recommendation and Sale of Dietary Supplements" as a PDF.

Academy Resources:

• Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Micronutrient Supplementation
  • Includes a Figure with select evidence-based resources for information related to dietary supplements.
• Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Scope and Standards for the RDNs and NDTRs Collection
  • Quality Certification Programs for Dietary Supplements
  • A Free New Dietary Supplement Label Database for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists
• eatrightPRO, News Center: Foods and Supplements
  • Sorting Out the Conflicting and Confusing Information Concerning Dietary Supplements
• Sports Nutrition Care Manual (subscription required)
  • Dietary Supplement Evaluation
• Commission on Dietetic Registration CPE Database

Related Resources*

• Federal Trade Commission Report: Dietary Supplements: An Advertising Guide for Industry
• National Sanitation Foundation International
• National Institutes of Health:
  • Dietary Supplement Label Database
  • Office of Dietary Supplements
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, Nutrition.gov: Dietary Supplements
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Dietary Supplements
  • How to Report a Problem with Dietary Supplements
  • Questions and Answers on Dietary Supplements
  • Dietary Supplement Ingredient Advisory List
• The Department of Defense Dietary Supplement Resource: Operation Supplement Safety
• The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency: Supplement 411
• United States Pharmacopoeia (USP)

*Note: This list is not inclusive. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has not participated in the development of the sites listed, does not exert any editorial or other control over the sites, content, and does not endorse any product or services.

The ethics resources may be downloaded and used by all nutrition and dietetics practitioners for their personal use only and are not available for resale or any commercial use.