Finally, without the requirement of proper testing, many nutraceuticals are sold without ever having demonstrated efficacy in a scientifically valid manner. Ideally, long-term feeding studies should be conducted to make sure no harm to the animal results from consuming a product. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the supplement is safe. Other than purchasing a product through a reputable company, most consumers will have no guarantee as to the actual product contents. Situations have arisen in which the analyses of some products have revealed a total lack of alleged active ingredient (Adebowale et al., 2000).

Without any regulations controlling the sale of nutraceuticals, the purity of products sold should be questioned. Additionally, the consumer will tend to have a greater selection of products and will have access to them sooner. By avoiding the extensive testing required by the FDA to prove both efficacy and safety, the cost to the consumer is typically less. By being classified as a nutraceutical, less testing of the substance is required, thus reducing cost to the manufacturer and shortening the time before a product can be marketed. There are both advantages and disadvantages to having a substance classified as a nutraceutical rather than a drug even if it has purported medicinal properties. By avoiding being classified as a drug, the amount of regulations surrounding a supplement decreases substantially. However, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 allows beneficial claims to be made when the claim is made for prevention or treatment of a classic nutrient deficiency (Jones, 1997). As the FDA is charged with approving medications before they can legally be sold or used, by including ‘disease treatment’ in the definition, it can be argued that the FDA should have a role in regulating many supplements. The inclusion of ‘disease treatment’ in that definition results in controversy. In contrast, the supplement industry has embraced the definition of a nutraceutical as ‘any non-toxic food component that has scientifically proven health benefits, including disease treatment or prevention’ (Boothe, 1997). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a ‘food’ to provide taste, aroma or nutritive value (FDA, 1995). As a result, the practice of feeding nutraceuticals is relatively common in the equine industry. Whereas in other species, producers ask the question “will it help?” before feeding a supplement, individuals in the horse industry tend to ask “will it hurt?” when making a decision as to whether or not to feed a supplement. Horse nutrition differs substantially from the feeding of other livestock species.

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