In comments submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday, AHPA has requested significant revisions and clarifications to a proposed rule that would establish new, additional traceability recordkeeping requirements for categories of foods on a newly published “Food Traceability List.” (FTL)

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has, since 1997, conducted quantitative surveys to estimate annual harvests of certain native North American herbs in commerce. A new paper reporting survey data on both cultivated and wild harvests of over 41 commodities for the years 2011-2013, and 45 commodities for 2014-2017, is the focus of an upcoming webinar featuring AHPA staff scientists and the chair of its Botanical Raw Materials Committee.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), its Compliance Programs exist to provide instructions to FDA personnel for conducting activities to evaluate industry compliance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other laws administered by FDA. On September 30, 2020, FDA released its Compliance Program Guidance Manual (CPGM) titled “Dietary Supplements – Foreign and Domestic Inspections, Sampling, and Imports.” Per FDA, the goal of this CPGM is to ensure companies consistently manufacture dietary supplements of acceptable quality and minimize consumers’ exposure to adulterated and/or misbranded dietary supplements. Attend the webinar on March 18 to hear perspectives on the CPGM from an industry veteran and an FDA investigator. Aaron Secrist will speak from the vantage point of industry, and Justin Boyd will provide insight from FDA’s point of view.

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is looking for an enthusiastic self-starter with a combination of public relations/publicity and (some) marketing skills who will thrive by expanding the association’s proactive communications activities.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/about) is welcoming public feedback for their fifth draft Strategic Plan covering 2021 to 2025 (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/nccih-strategic-plan-2021-2025#). The plan identifies research efforts and priorities through this period. AHPA staff remained engaged through the development of the new Plan and regularly attend meetings of the NCCIH Advisory Council's public sessions.

AHPA Members, Log In to access the AHPA Spring 2021 Meeting and Event Schedule.

On February 4, 2021 Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA) re-introduced bipartisan legislation that would protect public health by providing legal clarity in the cannabidiol (CBD) product marketplace. Re-introduced in the 117th Congress as HR 841, the Hemp and Hemp-derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2021 directs the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use its authority and resources to set a clear regulatory framework for hemp and hemp-derived CBD and assure consumer protection.

The February 2021 AHPA Report includes: AHPA expands COVID Web Center; AHPA Annual Member Meeting; AHPA is hiring: Manager of Communications & Marketing; The US regulatory and legislative landscape in 2021 and beyond; and more!

In comments submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last Friday, AHPA has requested structural revisions to a list of crops that the agency has determined are “rarely consumed raw” (the RCR list). Foods on the RCR list are exempted from the provisions of the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption regulation, commonly known as the Produce Safety Rule.