The national trade association and voice of the herbal products industry

Federal Regulatory Agencies — AHPA actively engages with the federal agencies and offices that regulate herbal and botanical products, including:

• The Food and Drug Administration
• The Federal Trade Commission
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• U.S. Department of Commerce
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
• National Institutes of Health (including the National Commission for Complementary & Alternative Medicine and the Office of Dietary Supplements)

U.S. Congress — AHPA staff, lobbyist and general counsel maintain strong working relationships with key U.S. Congress members and their staff. AHPA's presence on Capitol Hill helps ensure that the herbal products industry is represented when key issues and legislation are debated. 

State and Local Governments — AHPA monitors the activities of state and local governments and represents the herbal and botanical products industry when issues and legislation impact the commerce of herbal products, such as California's Proposition 65.

International Regulations — AHPA's International Committee works to ensure the responsible commerce of herbal products internationally. In addition, AHPA is an active member of the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplements Associations (IADSA), which focuses on the globalization of food supplement markets and associated regulatory challenges. 

Scientific Arena — AHPA’s Chief Science Officer and staff are actively involved with leading scientific organizations for herbs and botanicals, including:

• The U.S. Pharmacopeia
• The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia
• AOAC International
• NSF International
• and various offices of the National Institutes of Health, among others.

AHPA is also an active participant at national and international scientific meetings on herbal research. AHPA’s involvement in these activities provides informed guidance in the establishment of natural product standards, to ensure that the needs of industry are well understood and are met.

Media Resource — AHPA staff act as spokespersons for the herbal and botanical products industry and AHPA maintains relationships with reporters and editors at national, international, and industry media. AHPA works to publicize the benefits of herbal products and correct inaccurate information published about this industry. AHPA's experts have been quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post, National Public Radio (NPR), Associated Press, Reuters, Los Angles Times, Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, and more.

Media Responses — AHPA continually monitors the media and scientific journals and responds when appropriate to correct innacurate information. AHPA’s letters to the editor have been published in national media outlets and in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the New England Journal of Medicine.

Public Relations — Through its advocacy, website, social media and other publications AHPA promotes herbal and botanical products industry. AHPA also participates in the annual HerbDay and supports the AHPA-ERB Foundation to promote the responsible use of herbs in a wide variety of products.

Market Intelligence — AHPA’s regular email Updates, Alerts and monthly newsletter, the AHPA Report, keep AHPA members informed about the latest legal, regulatory, science and media developments that impact their business.

Educational Seminars — AHPA regularly produces in-person and online educational events featuring industry-leading experts providing information on the issues that impact the success and growth of the herbal and botanical products marketplace. Previous events have addressed:

• New Dietary Ingredient guidance and filings
• Current Good Manufacturing Practices
• Developing an in-house adverse event report management system
• Ensuring ingredient cleanliness
• How to manage FDA site inspections
• Complying with new food allergen labeling requirements
• Substantiating product claims

Many of the support materials and proceedings from these educational events are available for purchase in the AHPA Bookstore.

Resource Documents and “Tools You Can Use” — AHPA produces a host of resources to help members to comply with state and federal regulations and use the latest technology to manufacture of herbal and botanical products. These documents are available in the AHPA Book Store.

AHPA’s Code of Ethics — AHPA members agree to comply with the Association’s Code of Ethics & Business Practices, which contains trade requirements adopted by the association. Revised on an ongoing basis, as needed, AHPA’s trade requirements are created and codified when the industry determines that policies beyond those mandated by federal laws serve the common interest of the industry and our consumers. When we as an industry take greater responsibility for our goods and services through self-regulation, we set a new industry standard and take better control of our own destiny.

AHPA Guidance Policies — AHPA develops guidance policies to advance its mission to promote responsible commerce in herbal and botanical products. These policies address a variety of labeling and manufacturing issues and reflect the consensus of AHPA’s members and its board of trustees. Unlike AHPA’s trade requirements, compliance with AHPA’s guidance policies is not a condition of membership. Nevertheless, AHPA encourages its members as well as non-member companies to adopt each of these policies in the interest of establishing consistent and informed trade practices.

AHPA Committees — AHPA’s committees allow members to exchange information about the critical issues that face all levels of herbal and botanical manufacturing and trade. In addition, AHPA members are at the forefront of creating new guidelines that advance responsible trade. Most of AHPA’s policies and resources are generated within AHPA’s committees. AHPA members may join any or all of the following active committees:

• Analytical Laboratories
• Animal Products
• Ayurvedic Products
• Botanical Personal Care Products
• Botanical Raw Materials
• Cannabis
• Chinese Herbal Products
• Communications
• Education
• Finance & Governance
• Government Relations
• International
• Small Business
• Sports Nutrition
• Standards
• Tea Products