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In this issue of the IADSA Newsflash: China - Coenzyme Q10, reishi shell-broken spore powder, spirulina, fish oil and melatonin are now officially considered as functional ingredients; European Union – After a recent court case, the Commission now considers that cannabidiol (CBD) extracted from hemp is not a drug and can be eligible for use in food and food supplements; France has extended its ban on titanium dioxide (TiO2) in foods and supplements for another year pending a scientific opinion for the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA); Germany has published an updated Stoffliste, with the addition of over 100 monographs and over 250 plants; United Kingdom – Post-Brexit regulations for foods and supplements have not changed substantially; Argentina has updated the portion of the Argentine Food Code that defines dietary supplements. Primary changes are adjustments to minimum and maximum levels of vitamins and minerals, establishment of limits for amino acids and nitrogenous substances, and a reduction in the permitted botanical species; Nicaragua and Uzbekistan have introduced initial regulations for dietary supplement products.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/about) is welcoming public feedback for their fifth draft Strategic Plan covering 2021 to 2025 (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/nccih-strategic-plan-2021-2025#). The plan identifies research efforts and priorities through this period. AHPA staff remained engaged through the development of the new Plan and regularly attend meetings of the NCCIH Advisory Council's public sessions.
On February 4, 2021 Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA) re-introduced bipartisan legislation that would protect public health by providing legal clarity in the cannabidiol (CBD) product marketplace. Re-introduced in the 117th Congress as HR 841, the Hemp and Hemp-derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2021 directs the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use its authority and resources to set a clear regulatory framework for hemp and hemp-derived CBD and assure consumer protection.
The February 2021 AHPA Report includes: AHPA expands COVID Web Center; AHPA Annual Member Meeting; AHPA is hiring: Manager of Communications & Marketing; The US regulatory and legislative landscape in 2021 and beyond; and more!
In comments submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last Friday, AHPA has requested structural revisions to a list of crops that the agency has determined are “rarely consumed raw” (the RCR list). Foods on the RCR list are exempted from the provisions of the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption regulation, commonly known as the Produce Safety Rule.
AHPA has expanded the resources available on its COVID-19 Web Center to help the herbal products industry prepare for vaccine distribution efforts. Vaccine distribution is already ongoing, and important allocation decisions may need to be made with very little advance notice. AHPA encourages members of the herbal products industry to study state vaccine distribution policies, identify public health contacts, and plan for these moments before they occur.
The January 2021 AHPA Report includes: AHPA is hiring: Manager of Communications & Marketing; Noted physician touts nutrition’s critical role in supporting immune health for congressional staff; New safety information added to Botanical Safety Handbook; AHPA attends FDA public meetings clarifying proposed food traceability rule; AHPA attends Cosmetic Ingredients Review meeting.
AHPA has released updates via the online Botanical Safety Handbook 2nd ed. to four additional botanicals.
Washington, D.C., December 15, 2020—Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., recently educated congressional staffers on the responsible role of dietary supplements in supporting immune health, as well as their many other health and wellness benefits, particularly in the era of COVID-19. Dr. Low Dog was featured at the final Congressional Dietary Supplement Caucus (DSC) briefing of 2020, held last week. An expert in integrative medicine, dietary supplements and women’s health, Dr. Low Dog shared insights on the importance of proactive health maintenance, including addressing nutrient deficiencies that increase risk of infection and disease.