AHPA Updates

AHPA participated in the “2018 Farm Bill Listening Session on Domestic Hemp Production Program” conducted by the U.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA) on March 13, 2019. The event provided an opportunity for the agency to receive feedback directly from stakeholders regarding development of new regulations implementing the hemp provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill. The format allowed for registered participants to provide up to three minutes of public comment.

AHPA Chief Science Officer Holly Johnson, Ph.D., represented member interests at the 9th Annual AOAC INTERNATIONAL Midyear Meeting and Analytical Solutions Forum held March 11-14 outside Washington, DC.

This issue of the IADSA Newsflash includes an update on the EU banning yohimbe and consulting on regulatory limits for pyrrolizidine alkaloids in teas, honey, and food supplement products.

AHPA congratulates the 11 members who were elected to serve three-year terms on the board of trustees during the Annual Member Meeting on March 6 in Anaheim, CA.

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) presented its 2019 awards to individuals and an organization that have made significant contributions to the continued success of the herbal products industry at AHPA's Annual Member meeting on March 6 at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA.

On January 28, 2019, AHPA submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to ensure that any rule or guidance that the agency may adopt on the use of dairy names (e.g., “milk,” “cream,” “butter,” etc.) on the labels of plant-based products expressly does not apply to any such product that is not generally used as a substitute for or marketed to resemble a dairy product.

Join a renowned faculty of herbalists for a hands-on, guided tour of the Fullerton Arboretum's 26-acre botanical garden, featuring more than 4,000 plant species from around the globe.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) issued a final rule on December 20 that establishes the new national mandatory bioengineered (BE) food disclosure standard. The final rule does not incorporate significant revisions recommended by AHPA and consumer groups that were aimed at ensuring U.S. consumers can discern if their food includes genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or ingredients derived from GMOs.