Shark Cartilage Supplement Labeling Practices and Compliance with U.S. Regulations

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze labeling practices and compliance with regulatory standards for shark cartilage supplements sold in the United States. The product labels of 29 commercial shark cartilage supplements were assessed for compliance with U.S. regulations. Claims, including nutrient content, prohibited disease, and nutritional support statements, were examined for compliance and substantiation. Overall, 48.3% of the samples had at least one instance of noncompliance with labeling regulations. The most common labeling violations observed were: missing a domestic address/phone number, non-compliant nutrient content claim, missing/incomplete disclaimer, missing statement of identity, prohibited disease claims, and incomplete “Supplement Facts” label. The use of prohibited disease claims and nutritional support statements without the required disclaimer is concerning from a public health standpoint because consumers may delay seeking professional treatment for a disease. The results of this study indicate a need for improved labeling compliance among shark cartilage supplements.

Keywords:

• dietary supplements
• labeling compliance
• nutritional support statements
• prohibited disease claims
• shark cartilage
• structure/function claims

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Jason Keller for providing editorial feedback. Additionally, the authors would like to thank Eduardo Hernandez, Anthony Silva, and Rowena Zahn for their help in collecting and/or cataloging samples. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rachel B. Isaacs

Rachel Isaacs, M.S., is currently a medical student at California Northstate University. Her enthusiasm in research, nutrition, and food inspired her to earn an M.S. in Food Science at Chapman University. As a laboratory instructor for biology and microbiology she discovered a passion for teaching which she will continue throughout her career as a physician by educating patients. Overall she plans to integrate food science into a clinical setting to best support the health of her community.

Rosalee S. Hellberg

Rosalee Hellberg, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Food Science Program at Chapman University. She teaches courses on Food Fraud, Food Microbiology, and General Microbiology. Dr. Hellberg received an M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology at Oregon State University, where she studied seafood safety and fish mislabeling. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the FDA working on the development and optimization of DNA-based methods for the detection of food pathogens and food mislabeling. Dr. Hellberg received the 2015-2017 Wang-Fradkin Assistant Professorship Award for exceptional merit in scholarly and creative activity at Chapman University. In 2017, Dr. Hellberg was selected as a recipient of the Emerging Leaders Network Award by the Institute of Food Technologists. She has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.