Medium-size manufacturers of dietary supplements (20-499 employees) may have been given an overt warning by the FDA in April that their facilities would be subject to good manufacturing practices (GMP) by the summer, with an eye toward inspections starting this fall. The federal agency got an early start this month, however, filing GMP-related complaints that would lead to permanent injunctions against three New Jersey manufacturers and the manager who oversees them.

Among other things, the companies were cited for not including milk ingredients on product labels, and "manufacturing and storing food under filthy conditions and in conditions that may cause major food allergens to enter into products not intended to contain them," according to the FDA.

Even worse, the FDA discovered these violations after three separate inspections, but the companies failed to make any changes.

Such revelations could be the tip of the iceberg: The FDA hopes to inspect 200 manufacturing facilities during the rest of 2009.

FDA.gov July 10, 2009

NutraIngredients-USA.com July 10, 2009

NutraIngredients-USA.com April 30, 2009