From Our President: Putting Consumers First

As CR looks to the important consumer work ahead in 2023, I find myself reflecting on the 1936 founding of our organization. At that time, the marketplace was full of exciting new technologies—automobiles, telephones, and more. But along with those new advances came the task of ensuring that people would be safe using them and that the advertisements used to promote those advances were kept honest.

To meet that moment, CR’s founders had a plan: Empower people with helpful information from research and testing, and advocate for laws and standards that put consumers first. That was our sacred promise then, and it remains so today as we focus on new challenges and opportunities to grow consumer power.

This month, we are examining the risks posed by the mostly unregulated world of dietary supplements in the marketplace. Too often, these products promise more benefits than they can deliver. Using top experts, we evaluate those claims, examining the evidence as to whether they actually work and are safe, and offering alternatives you can try that may better address your health concerns.

That’s the work we do that you have come to rely on year after year. And there is more to be done: The entire CR team looks forward to working with you to build a consumer-first economy where the rules that companies must abide by are fair, where bad actors are held accountable, and where our safety is assured.