Posted by Larry Hoover on May 29, 2005, at 19:56:59
In reply to Re: so tell me why tryptophan is banned in the US?, posted by qbsbrown on May 29, 2005, at 19:34:31
> this was interesting
>
> After tryptophan was cleared of any role in the EMS outbreak it was natural to expect that tryptophan supplements would soon reappear in health food stores. In reality, tryptophan has been kept off of the market by the FDA, which currently has no plans for lifting the ban on sales of this supplement. This position is ironic, since the FDA feels that tryptophan is safe enough to use in infant formulas and parenteral (IV feedings) solutions. Still, it is doubtful that this unique supplement will ever be found on store shelves again.It's not off the market in the U.S. It is readily available. One quick google, and here's some:
http://store.yahoo.com/iherb/tryptophan2.htmlBut look at the price!!!!
That's because of the new rule the FDA brought in, that the manufacturer is responsible for the safety of the product (if sold for human consumption)...."...the manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that its products are safe...", from http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ds-tryp1.html
The problem is lawyers, and people who sue. The cost of the potential lawsuits is what has driven the price up. Who would want to market tryptophan with people ready to sue you if they get so much as a nervous tic?
Veterinary tryptophan is the same stuff, but if it's not sold for human consumption, it doesn't fall under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, amended by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).
Same stuff. Seriously. I'm a chemist. I know how to source chemicals.
I think the prices being charged for human-use tryptophan supps have the cost of lawyers factored in.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:504779
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050510/msgs/504942.html