AHPA Updates

The March 2020 AHPA Report includes a discussion of proposals to make supplement regulation more efficient and effective, the Cannabis Committee's 10-year anniversary, AERs and supplement safety, postponed events and an update on international supplement regulation from IADSA.

Silver Spring, MD – The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), the voice of the herbal products industry, celebrates the 10-year anniversary of its Cannabis Committee today. The Committee was established on March 10, 2010 to address issues related to the safe use and responsible commerce of legally-marketed products derived from Cannabis species, including hemp and hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD).

Washington, D.C. — At the initial Congressional Dietary Supplement Caucus briefing of 2020, held last week, Dr. Richard Kingston, president, regulatory and scientific affairs and co-founder of SafetyCall International, educated congressional staffers on the types of evidence used to monitor dietary supplement safety, including adverse event reports, emergency room visits and poison control center data. Dr. Kingston is an expert on clinical toxicology and pharmacology, poison control, product post-market surveillance, and drug and dietary supplement safety.

The European Food Safety Authority issued a report regarding potential exposure to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from high consumption of hemp-based foods, the European Commission is finalizing limits for pyrrolizidine alkaloids in food supplements, Italy has set maximum limits on THC in hemp-derived foods and ingredients, the French ban on titanium dioxide in food supplements took effect on January 1, 2020, the German Institute for Risk Assessment has issued a recommendation against the consumption of red yeast rice supplements, and more in this issue of the IADSA Newsflash.

The U.S. dietary supplement industry is aware of the growing concern regarding the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and of the public’s desire to protect itself against the virus. The four leading trade associations representing the dietary supplement industry support the responsible sale and use of vitamins, minerals, herbs and other dietary supplements that provide many positive benefits promoting better health and wellness. However, we are concerned that some marketers of dietary supplements or other products may be promoting them with claims of prevention or treatment of Coronavirus.

The February 2020 AHPA Report includes a look at the recent U.S.-China trade agreement, the impact of the Coronavirus on the industry, AHPA's comments to USDA on the domestic hemp product program and the final schedule of AHPA Events at Expo West 2020.

In comments submitted to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), AHPA requested numerous, significant revisions to the Interim Final Rule (IFR) that establishes a domestic hemp production program before a Final Rule is promulgated in 2021.

A partial trade agreement signed by the United States and China on January 15, 2020, will reduce U.S.-imposed tariffs on some imported Chinese goods used by U.S. dietary supplement and food companies, but it will leave tariffs on other commodities in place, at least for the short term.

The January 2020 AHPA Report includes class action claims reinstated on “adulterated” supplements, AHPA Events at Expo West 2020, McGuffin named Industry Leader by Nutritional Outlook, and the 2020 Hemp-CBD Supplement Congress.

The December 2019 AHPA Report includes a look back at 2019 and forward to 2020, Class action claims reinstated on “adulterated” supplements, AHPA Events at Expo West 2020, McGuffin named Industry Leader by Nutritional Outlook, and the 2020 Hemp-CBD Supplement Congress.