Preface:

This is a mock letter to Idaho senator, Mike Crapo, regarding the Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2025 my focus on this letter is directed towards its affects on nutritional supplements. This letter initially began as a writing assignment for my community nutrition class with Lamar University, although I thought it was worthy to share.

The assignment requirements were to (1) write a one-page letter to a local senator, (2) select a current bill, and (3) explain how the bill could affect one of the following areas: agriculture, child health, dietary supplements, food safety, food biotechnology, food labeling, health care reform, health claims, health issues, organic foods, medical foods, or WIC.

This bill affects many of these topics, I wanted to explore more thoroughly on the topic of nutritional supplements as they are an over-the-counter product that are regulated as foods rather than a pharmaceutical.

Although this bill does raise the question of how we define a “possible risk”, I do believe this bill has more benefits than costs. This bill would give better protection of public health by closing loopholes on ingredients that are GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) through routine studies of ingredients.

Mock Letter:

Dear Mike Crapo,

My name is The hungry scholar, a constituent of Ada County in Boise Idaho. I am writing to you to discuss the Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2025 (H.R. 4306) as a current student pursuing dietetics. This bill was introduced on July 10th, 2025 and sponsored by Janice Schakowsky. Most dietary supplements are accessible over the counter, and are considered food rather than drug. Due to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, this creates a safety gap as it causes the supplement market to be reactive rather than proactive, keeping harmful supplements on the market before recall. The FDA cannot force recall unless the product is marked unsafe, where drugs are mandated to be manufactured and submit safety and efficiency data to the FDA prior to selling. As someone preparing for a career in nutrition and public health, I see firsthand how important accurate labeling, ingredient safety, and nutrition education is for patients and consumers. I am urging you to carefully consider H.R. 4306 to ensure proactive oversight of food and dietary supplement chemicals. 

This situation is especially concerning for public safety and nutrition education as these dietary supplements directly affect medications, cause harmful side effects, or make understudied health claims. The primary focus of H.R. 4306 is to address the ingredients themselves by requiring the FDA to act proactive and re-evaluate the food safety of chemicals- such as additives, colorings, and packaging materials every three years with knowledge used from modern science. Under the existing Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), these ingredients are only investigated after problems arise. Routine, science-based reassessments will help ensure that substances in dietary supplements remain safe and consumers can continue to buy products that they trust. 

I respectfully urge you to please show your support for nutrition care within our communities by cosponsoring the Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2025. This will protect consumers and strengthen confidence in the food and dietary supplements we purchase every day. Having routine science-based reviews will ensure that our ingredients remain safe, and educate the public about what we eat and how it affects our health. I would appreciate a written reply letting me know your position on this bill. Thank you for your time and representing the people of Idaho. 

Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.-a). Questions & answers on dietary supplements. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/information-consumers-using-dietary-supplements/questions-and-answers-dietary-supplements

Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.-b). Dietary supplements. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements

National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. (n.d.). What You Need To Know (Consumer): Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/WYNTK-Consumer/

GovTrack.us. (n.d.). H.R. 4306: Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2025. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/hr4306

Congressional Research Service. (2025, August 12). Food and Dietary Supplement Labeling Claims: FDA Regulation and Select Legal Issues (Report No. R48623). https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48623?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22dietary+supplements%22%7D&s=1&r=2