Amazon: New dietary supplement policy applies to sexual enhancement, weight management, and sports nutrition products

• By: AHPA
• On: 04/18/2024 13:57:06
• In: Industry News

At this time, multi-vitamin products appear to be low priorities for policy enforcement

April 18, 2024

On April 2, Amazon announced policy changes that now require additional third-party verification of dietary supplement products. While the policy as written applies to all dietary supplements, Amazon has specified that, at this time, the new policy applies to sexual enhancement, weight management, and sports nutrition/body building dietary supplement products.

In a webinar hosted on April 17 to address questions about the new policy, Amazon stated in both the presentation and accompanying handout that sexual enhancement, weight management, and sports nutrition/body building dietary supplements sold via the platform to U.S. customers specifically require direct verification from approved third-party Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) organizations that the products comply with Amazon's policy.

Some dietary supplement products requiring action to meet the new policy have already been flagged for sellers. In conversations with individuals informed on the matter, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has learned that Amazon expects to begin applying and enforcing this new policy within 90 days of its announcement (i.e., no later than July 1).

In the webinar, Amazon also confirmed that compliance documents – such as reports of test results, Certificates of Analysis (CoAs), and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certificates – will not be accepted from sellers or other labs. Rather, Amazon indicated that the company must receive these documents directly from one of the third-party TIC organizations that Amazon has engaged for testing. The TIC organizations currently engaged by Amazon for this purpose are Eurofins, UL Solutions, and NSF International. Companies that have current reports of test results from ISO 17025 certified labs may provide this documentation to the third-party TIC organization that they are working with to document compliance.

Based on Amazon's prioritization of sexual enhancement, weight management, and sports nutrition/body building dietary supplements as well as discussions with AHPA members, multi-vitamin products appear to be low priorities for policy enforcement. Amazon has acknowledged that there may be exceptions to the new policy and has an appeal process in place for sellers who believe that their products do not require testing verification.

AHPA will continue to engage with Amazon on dietary supplement matters as part of our work to ensure consumer access to safe, high quality dietary supplements and support a robust marketplace for these sought-after products. AHPA members are invited to contact Michael McGuffin (mmcguffin@ahpa.org) and Robert Marriott (rmarriott@ahpa.org) directly with questions or concerns about Amazon's dietary supplement policy.