American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) > News

Our Mission

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is the national trade association and voice of the herbal products industry. Founded in 1982, AHPA's mission is to promote the responsible and sustainable commerce of herbal products to ensure that consumers have informed access to a wide variety of safe herbal goods. AHPA’s Vision is for high quality herbal products to be readily accessible to and broadly used by consumers.

Our Expertise

AHPA has particular expertise on the history, science, and regulation of botanicals while its work also has significant influence on non-herbal dietary supplements. Similarly, AHPA expends its resources on issues in the U.S. marketplace and in the international arena, wherever member interests are served.

Our Members

AHPA is comprised of more than 350 domestic and international companies conducting business as growers, processors, manufacturers, and marketers of herbs and herbal products. AHPA members’ herbal products are in tea, beverage, dietary supplement, sports nutrition, personal care, pet and other product categories. AHPA membership also includes individuals, companies and organizations who serve the industry, including consultants, attorneys, media, researchers, educators, and medical professionals.

FDA identifies “pathways” for hemp ingredients in foods and supplements

Commissioner Gottlieb issues statement on 2018 Farm Bill and “cannabis-derived compounds”

President Trump signs 2018 Farm Bill

Hemp is now removed from CSA Schedule I control by DEA

Nutritional supplements access preserved in Arizona

December 2018: AHPA and NPA protect proper rules for safe, legal, natural products

A proposal that would have drastically limited access to safe, legal and popular products for Arizonans was changed recently thanks to the Natural Products Association (NPA) and the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), who worked with the Arizona Board of Pharmacy and other state policymakers on the issue.

AHPA President presents at SOHO Expo World of Hemp Forum

November 30, 2018: McGuffin provides overview of federal legal issues for hemp and hemp-derived products

AHPA President Michael McGuffin on Friday provided an overview of federal legal issues for hemp and hemp-derived products at the World of Hemp Forum held at the annual SOHO Expo in Orlando, FL.

Lessons in herb safety from The Cleveland Clinic Chinese Herbal Medicine Program

Clinic reports only six mild adverse events since 2014

Nationally board-certified acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist at the Cleveland Clinic Galina Roofener shared safety data and lessons learned from the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute’s Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine (TCHM) Program at her keynote delivered at the American Herbal Products Association’s (AHPA’s) 7th Annual Botanical Congress presented on Nov. 10 in Las Vegas at the SupplySide West trade show.

FDA Update by ODSP Director Steven Tave Presented at 7th Annual AHPA Botanical Congress

Tave outlines collaborations between FDA and supplement industry to ensure consumer safety

The American Herbal Products Association’s (AHPA’s) 7th Annual Botanical Congress featured a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) update by Steven Tave, FDA’s Director of the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs (ODSP), who highlighted recent collaborations between the responsible supplement industry and FDA toward the shared goal of a well-regulated dietary supplement market.

AHPA Chief Science Officer presents at Hemp Industries Association 25th Annual Conference

November 6, 2018: Dr. Johnson discusses quality standards for farmers, formulators, and finished product manufacturers

AHPA Chief Science Officer Dr. Holly Johnson discussed quality standards for hemp farmers, formulators, and finished product manufacturers at the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) 25th Annual Conference held Nov. 2-5 in Los Angeles.

Dietary Supplement Trade Associations Warn Consumers of Dangerous Substance Illegally Posing as a Dietary Supplement

Supplement industry sounds the alarm about the dangers of “phenibut,” a substance being illegally marketed in products fraudulently labeled as dietary supplements

Developed and used as a drug in the former Soviet Union for its supposed brain-enhancing properties, phenibut is not approved as a drug in the United States, nor does it meet the regulatory requirements to be sold in, or as, a dietary supplement. The ingredient should be considered dangerous, and has been associated with potentially serious side effects and great risk for addiction.

AHPA provides cGMP resources to herbalists attending AHG Symposium

AHG awards Dr. Zimmermann for cGMP compliance poster

AHPA Chief Information Analyst Merle Zimmermann, Ph.D. provided cGMP compliance resources to herbalists attending the American Herbalist Guild (AHG) 29th Annual Symposium in Georgia last week.

AHPA corrects JAMA article that misidentifies illegal drugs as dietary supplements

Products adulterated with undeclared drugs are not dietary supplements

In a letter to the editor submitted to JAMA Open Network, American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) President Michael McGuffin stressed that the herbal products industry shares concerns about unapproved drugs masquerading as dietary supplements, as outlined in a recent article, but also highlighted that the authors mislead readers by failing to make a clear distinction between unlawful, misbranded drugs and legal dietary supplements.

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