{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/after-unexplained-delay-fda-finally-takes-action-to-prevent-sale-of-dietary-ingredient-that-fda-and-independent-scientists-had-previously-determined-wasnt-a-dietary-ingredient", "After Unexplained Delay, FDA Finally Takes Action to Prevent Sale of ‘Dietary Ingredient’ That FDA and Independent Scientists Had Previously Determined Wasn’t a Dietary Ingredient", "2015-12-02", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "After Unexplained Delay, FDA Finally Takes Action to Prevent Sale of Dietary Ingredient That FDA and Independent Scientists Had Previously Determined Wasnt a Dietary Ingredient \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t McCaskill: Weve got to do a better job of taking action to protect American consumers \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 2, 2015\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  Two months after U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take action to prevent the improper sale of the highly synthesized ingredient picamilon, the FDA announced today that it is sending warning letters to five dietary supplement manufacturers regarding the substances sale. Picamilon, which is widely available across the United States, should not have been categorized as a dietary supplement, and has been classified as a prescription drug in other countries for several years.\r\nFaced with the FDAs failure to act, McCaskill reached out directly to retailers, asking them to voluntarily remove products containing picamilon from their shelvesa request that many retailers acted upon.\r\nI am glad that the FDA is finally taking steps to remove this substance from virtual and online shelvesbut the old saying better late than never certainly applies here, McCaskill said. Its hard to understand how it took this long to send a handful of letters to prevent the sale of an ingredient that the FDA determined months ago was not a dietary ingredient. This entire episode is an illustration of how regulatory safeguards that are in place to protect American consumers are falling dramatically short.\r\nThe Oregon Attorney General recently filed a complaint against General Nutrition Corporation (GNC) alleging that GNC knowingly sold products containing picamilon and other substances that were not appropriate for inclusion in dietary supplements. In connection with the Oregon Attorney Generals investigation, the FDA submitted an affidavit stating that picamilon is not a dietary ingredient.\r\nA recent report reviewing products containing picamilon revealed that products on U.S. shelves routinely contain prescription-level doses of this ingredient. But because this ingredient is being sold as a dietary supplement and not a prescription drug it has not undergone the same level of scrutiny to understand its potential side effects or drug interactions.\r\nEarlier this year, McCaskilla former State Auditor and courtroom prosecutorsent letters to 15 retailers inquiring about their policies concerning dietary supplements and what they do to prevent the sale of harmful or fraudulently marketed products in their stores and on their websites and shows. This inquiry was in response to the discovery of products such as Brain Armor, which has since been removed from the Amazon website, that made false claims about their ability to enhance memory and treat dementia.\r\nRecently, McCaskill twice wrote FDA Acting Administrator Stephen Ostroff to request that the FDA take appropriate action to suspend sales of any supplement containing picamilon, a product that FDA has determined is not a dietary ingredient.\r\nAs past Chairman of the Senates Consumer Protection Subcommittee, McCaskill has also examined misleading and false claims made by makers of weight-loss products.\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/consumers to learn more about McCaskills fight to strengthen protections for American consumers.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/after-unexplained-delay-fda-finally-takes-action-to-prevent-sale-of-dietary-ingredient-that-fda-and-independent-scientists-had-previously-determined-wasnt-a-dietary-ingredient"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0071680881083012, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}