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.

AHPA ERB Foundation expands board with additions of Steven Dentali and Susan Leopold

ERB Foundation promotes education and research on medicinal, therapeutic, and health-promoting herbs

The AHPA Foundation for Education and Research on Botanicals (ERB Foundation) is pleased to announce the expansion of its board of directors with the additions of Steven Dentali, Ph.D., and Susan Leopold, Ph.D., executive director at United Plant Savers (UpS).

AHPA President Michael McGuffin urges companies selling kratom to comply with all applicable laws and regulations

Statement delivered during press conference

AHPA President Michael McGuffin stressed that any company looking to sell kratom or kratom products must comply with all applicable laws and regulations during a press conference.

AHPA recommends CBD not be scheduled under any international drug control convention

April 24, 2018: AHPA submits comments to FDA to inform participation in WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence

AHPA submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday to stress that cannabidiol (CBD) requires no international drug scheduling as an individual substance and encourage the U.S. to support this position.

Rate of NDI notifications reported by FDA unexpectedly drops

More than half of most recent NDI notifications available from FDA filed without comment

More than half of the most recent new dietary ingredient (NDI) notifications provided by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the last six months were filed without comment, but the rate of notifications reported received by the agency is dramatically lower than previously observed for any six month period since the initial six months in 1995 when the agency first began accepting and filing notifications.

AHPA supports FDA Guidance making pure or highly concentrated caffeine dietary supplements unlawful

AHPA policy prohibits the sale of pure caffeine

FDA issued guidance titled, "Highly Concentrated Caffeine in Dietary Supplements: Guidance for Industry," to explain that it generally considers pure or highly concentrated caffeine dietary supplements, sold in bulk directly to consumers, to be adulterated because they present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury. The principle in this guidance is consistent with a policy adopted by AHPA members in 2015.

AHPA Presents at 18th Oxford International Conference on the Science of Botanicals (ICSB)

Dr. Holly Johnson discuses critical uses of reference materials for botanical authentication

AHPA Chief Science Officer Holly Johnson, Ph.D., presented on the critical uses of reference materials for botanical authentication at the 18th Oxford International Conference on the Science of Botanicals (ICSB) on Tuesday.

AHPA staff participate in panels on pesticides and food adulteration prevention at GMA Science Forum

March 2018: AHPA President Michael McGuffin presented on a panel discussing pesticide issues

AHPA President Michael McGuffin and Chief Science Officer Holly Johnson, Ph.D. presented at the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) Science Forum held this week in Washington, DC.

AHPA comments to FWS provide recommendations for CITES

March 2018: Annotation for American ginseng should exclude sliced roots from CITES export and import controls

In comments submitted to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), AHPA requested that the agency propose at the 18th Conference of the Parties (CoP18) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to amend the annotation for American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) to exclude sliced roots from CITES export and import controls.

AHPA participates in AOAC International Stakeholder Panel for Dietary Supplements

Four new SMPRs were approved and new calls for methods will be announced soon for kava, resveratrol, and skullcap

AHPA Chief Science Officer Holly Johnson, P.h.D, represented AHPA member interests at AOAC International's Stakeholder Panel for Dietary Supplements held in Washington, DC last week. The panel was chaired by Darryl Sullivan at AHPA member company Covance and Brian Schaneberg, director QA - regulatory, at member company Starbucks served as vice chair of the panel.

Press Room

AHPA Experts