Christine Kapperman, Senior Content Director

April 19, 2016

3 Min Read
Natural Products Association lobby day position papers

The annual Natural Products Day took place April 12 and 13 in Washington, D.C., during which Natural Products Association members spend the day on Capitol Hill lobbying for industry issues.

Here's an outline of this year's issues and the position papers shared.

Dietary Supplement Labeling Act

This legislation, expected to be reintroduced in the 114th Congress, would create additional registration and labeling requirements for supplements. Past versions would have: (1) required entity registration for dietary supplements and product registration for all existing, new, reformulated, and discontinued dietary supplements; (2) require the Secretary of HHS to contract with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to evaluate the safety of supplement ingredients and proprietary blends that IOM determines could pose potential health risks; (3) require the Secretary to publicly list ingredients and proprietary blends the Secretary determines may pose such risk; and (4) require mandatory warning label requirements for listed ingredients and blends.

Read more and get the NPA position paper by clicking on the icon to the right.

Federal Trade Commission Overreach

The Natural Products Association asked legislators to request a Government Accountability Office report examining the “FTC’s waste of taxpayer dollars related to Bayer vs FTC.” The position paper (available at the right) outlines the authority of the Food and Drug Administration and FTC, raising questions about regulatory overstepping.

GMO Labeling

For the first time since adopting its GMO labeling position, Natural Products Day attendees touted the association’s stance for what it would support. This platform includes:

  • Encouraging and supporting voluntary labeling of non‐GMO foods.

  • Supporting a federal law promoting a uniform federal standard to avoid separate standards for GMO labeling at the state level.

  • Opposing a private enforcement provision, which encourages abuse litigation, to impose compliance.

  •  Supporting the FDA consistently reviewing the concept of bioequivalency of genetically modified ingredients in light of the most recent scientific studies.

Health Savings Act of 2016

The association seeks co-sponsors and passage of  the Health Savings Act of 2016, which would add supplement reimbursement to health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts.

Read more and get the NPA position paper by clicking on the icon to the right.

Personal Care Products Safety Act

The NPA offered statement on the direction of the Personal Care Products Safety Act, legislation that would amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act to provide clear mandates on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), funding for associated facility inspections, and to tie funding to enforcement of cosmetics. Read the position paper by clicking at right.

Regulation of Dietary Supplements Overview

Natural Products Association members shared handy talking points about how supplements are regulated. The position paper at right outlines the background, product integrity and manufacturing, claims, labeling, relevant laws and NPA’s position in which it opposes redundant regulation or additional bureaucracy.

About the Author(s)

Christine Kapperman

Senior Content Director, New Hope Network

As the senior content director at New Hope Network, Christine Kapperman combines her 20-year journalism background with her passion for business to cover the natural products industry for newhope.com and Natural Foods Merchandiser magazine. She also led content at worldteanews.com. She loves tracking (and tasting) trends as she shares what’s next to show up in cups, plates and in pantries across the United States.

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