On April 15, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, announced updated guidelines for melatonin supplements that aim to improve formulation, labeling, and packaging.

The voluntary guidelines would also help tighten standards for melatonin gummies to address growing concerns over accidental ingestion and overdose among children, focusing specifically on melatonin products that are sold in the shape of gummies, which can be more appealing to kids.

The guidelines call for melatonin-containing gummy products to also be packaged in child-deterrent packaging, and in packaging with clear warnings on the label that the gummies are to be used “under appropriate conditions and guidance.”

Labels on melatonin-containing gummy products intended for children under four years old should also contain a warning that they could “present a potential choking hazard,” the group said.

To reduce the risk of unsupervised access of melatonin gummies, the CRN has asked manufacturers to add child-deterrent packaging and include cautionary language on product labeling.

The proliferation of melatonin use among children over the past decade has experts concerned about the short- and long-term effects. When used as directed, melatonin is considered safe — but as with any dietary supplement, melatonin is not held to the same rigorous standards by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as over-the-counter or prescription medical drug products.

“We are an industry that depends on the confidence of our consumers,” Steve Mister, president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition told Healthline.

“If they start to doubt our products or think we’re putting something [unsafe] out there, we’ll lose that consumer. These voluntary guidelines are an example of [the] industry saying we need to do the right thing here — we need to show our consumers that we have their best interest in mind,” Mister said.