NBJ Summit: The dietary supplement industry's counterfeit conundrumNBJ Summit: The dietary supplement industry's counterfeit conundrum

Public health education—Teaching consumers how to shop for quality supplements and avoid counterfeits is an idea that might sound obvious but needs to be done carefully to avoid scaring consumers off altogether. The fact that few “how to buy quality supplements” education programs have emerged from trade associations and other groups illustrates how complicated the task could be. 

Technology— Holograms, QR codes and radio frequence ID tags (RFID) on bottles and shipments have all been put forward as methods to trace goods and combat counterfeits, but some in the group pointed out that technology can also turn into an arms race with clever counterfeiters who can copy the technology and might do little to stop unscrupulous sellers.

Brick-and-mortar alliance—Natural retailers have long been the curators and gatekeepers for the supplement industry, employing standards that allow consumers to feel confident in their purchases. That same gatekeeper role could highlight confidence with regards to counterfeit as well. Natural retailers could assure consumers that they are selling the real goods because they come directly from the brands and qualified distributors—not through the behind-the-curtains network resellers use.

Online alliance—Among the biggest takeaways of the entire summit was Amazon’s readiness to engage with the industry. Ideas that executives in the session expressed included a system to report obviously exaggerated/impossible label claims that often indicate counterfeits.

Law enforcement engagement—Much of the frustration expressed in the session was directed at regulators, including the FDA, who many believe have done little to combat counterfeiting and show disregard for obvious safety issues. Going beyond regulators was a perhaps more urgent and important next step. Locking up counterfeiters could be the only way to keep them from simply moving on to fake a different brand when they get caught.