The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) issued the following statement regarding the release of the American Herbal Products Association's (AHPA) guidelines on Good Agricultural and Collection Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices for Botanical Material:
Statement from Steve Mister, president & CEO, CRN:
"CRN welcomes AHPA's guidelines on Good Agricultural and Collection Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices for Botanical Material and recognizes the crucial role they will play in ensuring the production of high-quality herbal raw materials. There has been a need for best practices that are easily adaptable for growers, harvesters, and processors to improve their operations for the cultivation, wild collection, and processing of botanical crops, and we commend AHPA for filling this gap. Creating standards such as these provides companies of all sizes an equal opportunity to succeed in the marketplace and strengthens the overall supply chain. Ultimately, adherence to these guidelines will help to assure our consumers of consistently high-quality botanical supplements that deliver on their health benefits every time.
CRN is committed to participating in meaningful self-regulatory initiatives. In unanimously adopting this resolution of support, CRN's board of directors has given strong consideration as to how the AHPA guidelines might be incorporated into member operations. As the industry continues to grow and innovate, we embrace our colleagues' efforts to increase adherence to legal, ethical, and safety standards. AHPA's guidelines are no exception and we look forward to witnessing the positive impact they will have."