The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has recently modernized and redesigned the Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD), a public database of current and historical label information from dietary supplement products marketed in the U.S.
 
First launched in 2013 with about 17,000 labels, the DSLD now catalogues more than 125,000 products, including 76,000 supplements that are currently on the market.
 
The technological updates were designed to make it easier to navigate the DSLD through more streamlined search functions with the ability to customize search results.
 
Users have the option to download their customized search in three file formats or the entire database can also be downloaded or shared as JSON files.
 
The new site will also include an improved ingredient categorization system to improve integration with food and drug/medical databases.
 
The updated DSLD clearly communicates whether products are on or off the market and documents the date of label collection. The database also allows users to filter products by ingredient category, supplement form, target consumer base, claims, and other criteria.
 
Improved image formatting allows full labels to be visible immediately from search results. Dietary ingredients are also now assigned unique ingredient identifiers, part of a generally harmonized system developed by FDA’s Global Substance Registration System.
 
Full details of the DSLD modernization are documented in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. ODS also created a video highlighting the new features and updates.
 
“The Dietary Supplement Label Database has been a valuable resource since its inception,” said American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) President Michael McGuffin. “AHPA established a policy in 2015 encouraging members that market supplement products under their own brands to submit labels for inclusion in the DSLD or in the Supplement Online Wellness Library. These new features will make it even easier for industry to help consumers and regulators access a comprehensive record of products in the marketplace.”