In its continuing effort to create expanded resources to serve its membership and the natural health products industry at large, the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA), an international alliance of forward-looking companies dedicated to providing consumers with natural health products of superior quality, benefit and reliability, has enhanced its roster of collaborative partnerships through formal agreements with seven leading organizations and associations.

Representing industry, integrative health practitioners, academia and research, these partners provide broad, expert and unique perspectives and leading-edge knowledge as UNPA pursues a strategic plan to lead the industry forward in the new millennium. The collaborations are intended to result in new projects and products, educational offerings and insights to drive UNPA legislative and regulatory advocacy, new technologies, the advancement of personalized medicine, global track-and-trace systems and much more. 
 
“From the shifting political landscape and health care reform to the expanding U.S. and global markets, there are many issues of vital importance to consumers and companies that must be addressed as the industry moves ahead,” said Loren Israelsen, UNPA president. “We look forward to working with these varied partners to help us develop wide-ranging and compelling messages about our industry’s growing economic significance and global market relevance.”
 
UNPA introduces the following organizations to its growing list of partner organizations:
 
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP): Founded in 1985, AANP is the national professional society of licensed naturopathic physicians and corporations collectively striving to advance the profession of naturopathic medicine nationwide.
 
American Botanical Council (ABC): A nonprofit member-supported organization whose mission is to provide education using science-based and traditional information to promote responsible use of herbal medicine to the public, researchers, educators, healthcare professionals, industry and media.
 
The Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3 (GOED): An association of processors, refiners, manufacturers, distributors, marketers, retailers and supporters of products containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) omega-3 fatty acids. GOED’s mission is to set high standards for the business sector, while promoting and protecting the category and enhancing its awareness.
 
The International Association for the Advancement of High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC): The association represents members of academia, industry, research and regulatory, promotes the use of HPTLC in plant analysis, develops and validates standards for plant identification, and provides information and training about HPTLC to the scientific community.
 
Medicus Research: A contract research organization, started and led by integrative medicine pioneer Jay Udani, M.D., with expertise in dietary supplements, functional foods, medical foods and botanical drugs. The organization is founded on the principle of bringing the quality of human clinical trials for natural health products up to the standard of Good Clinical Practice.

Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute: A nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the importance of personalized lifestyle medicine as a key solution for chronic illness management. The institute, headed by Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D., collaborates with medical experts, scientists, educators, advocacy groups, medical societies and legislators.
 
UNPA also has recently signed an agreement with NSF International covering the development and collaboration of educational programs and trainings to help companies comply with the myriad regulations surrounding the implementation of provisions of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act.
 
The new UNPA partners join a robust roster of other well-established and productive partnership organizations, including: