AHPA in the News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) convened a teleconference meeting on March 18 (FDA Briefing for Foods Stakeholders on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)), which was attended by AHPA president Michael McGuffin and by representatives of AHPA’s general counsel, Kleinfeld, Kaplan & Becker, LLP.

In a series of three letters to federal, state, and local governments, AHPA joined healthcare and food organizations to request that uniform language be included in shelter-at-home orders that provide direction to employees working in various industries related to dietary supplements, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals.

AHPA has compiled answers to frequently asked questions and resources to help prepare for and respond to COVID-19. This page will be revised and updated regularly as new information about the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and possible impacts on the herbal products industry and the people who work in this trade becomes available.

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 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.

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.