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Archive May 2025
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AHPA Chief Science Officer attends USP Convention
May 30, 2025
Since 1820, the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) has advanced public health through quality standards. As the global health landscape evolves, USP continues to lead with science – thanks in part to the contributions of its Convention Members and expert volunteers. The 2025 USP Convention Meeting was held May 5-8 in North Bethesda, Maryland, and the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) was represented at the meeting by Chief Science Officer Holly E. Johnson, Ph.D.
Dr. Johnson serves as a voting delegate and contributes her expertise on the Expert Committee on Botanical Dietary Supplements and Herbal Medicines. This committee plays a key role in developing and revising monographs and reference materials for botanical dietary supplements and herbal medicine ingredients.
During the 2025 USP Convention, Robin Marles, Ph.D., was recognized with the prestigious USP Jacob Bigelow Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Standards by a USP Expert Volunteer. The award honors exceptional dedication to USP’s standards-setting process and is named in tribute to Jacob Bigelow, M.D., a founding figure in U.S. pharmacopeial history.
Dr. Marles served as Chair of the Botanical Dietary Supplements and Herbal Medicines Expert Committee for a decade. Succeeding Dr. Marles in this role is Thomas Brendler, Ph.D., Founder & Principal of AHPA member company Plantaphile, who was elected as the new Chair of this influential committee. USP also announced its newly elected Council of Experts and Board of Trustees for the 2025-2030 cycle.
AHPA congratulates all those elected and honored and looks forward to continued collaboration in advancing botanical quality standards.
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AHPA Chief Science Officer Holly E. Johnson, Ph.D., with
USP Chief Executive Officer Ronald T. Piervincenzi, Ph.D.
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Robin Marles, Ph.D., accepting the USP Jacob Bigelow Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Standards by a USP Expert Volunteer, pictured with USP CEO Ronald T. Piervincenzi, Ph.D., and USP Chief Science Officer Jaap Venema, Ph.D.
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AHPA Chief Science Officer Holly E. Johnson, Ph.D., with USP staff and Expert Volunteers, including Thomas Brendler, Ph.D., Founder & Principal of AHPA member company Plantaphile and newly elected Chair of the Expert Committee on Botanical Dietary Supplements and Herbal Medicines (far right).
IADSA Newsflash for May 2025
May 22, 2025
AHPA is an active member of IADSA, an association focused on the globalization of food supplement markets and regulatory challenges. AHPA distributes the IADSA Newsflash This issue covers:
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Indonesia’s 2025 regulatory agenda for supplements includes changes to labeling, post-market controls, and new guidelines on stability testing.
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The Philippines has aligned its approach to vitamin and mineral maximum limits with the ASEAN guidelines.
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The European Union has eased import rules for some low-risk composite products, such as some types of gelatin capsules.
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The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is expected to release a scientific opinion on fennel that could lead to the use of fennel being banned in supplement products, due to the presence of estragole and some structurally similar compounds.
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The European Commission Article 8 working group is likely to propose bans on green tea catechins and monacolins from red yeast rice, and will likely place alpha lipoic acid (ALA) under scrutiny.
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The Spanish Agency for Food Safety has recognized the botanicals Silene vulgaris, Sonchus oleraceus, and Scolymus hispanicus as having a history of safe consumption and can be used in food supplements.
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EFSA has released an update to its database Compendium of Botanicals to support hazard identification in areas such as food supplements.
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The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety has flagged cannabidiol (CBD) as a potential reproductive toxicant based on review of animal studies.
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Sweden has deferred to an upcoming EU assessment of ashwagandha safety, in lieu of taking their own actions based on a Danish safety assessment.
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The United Kingdom has moved ahead with a limit of 10 mg/day for CBD products, with cautions for use during pregnancy, etc.
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Ukraine has aligned its food supplement regulations with the EU’s regulatory framework.
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Costa Rica has announced a review of synthetic food dyes, following recent regulatory attention to such dyes in the U.S.
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The Dominican Republic has issued its first ever proposed framework for regulation of food supplement products.
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Australia has reaffirmed its prohibition on nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and related compounds in food supplements, although products may be produced for “export only” purposes.
AHPA publishes herbal advocacy leave-behind
May 21, 2025
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has published an herbal advocacy leave-behind to support the development of trade policies that protect access to essential herbs that cannot be grown domestically at the commercial scale necessary to meet consumer and industry demand.
Intended to inform policymakers, the document highlights the potential consequences of tariffs on key botanicals – including, but not limited to, cinnamon, turmeric, and ashwagandha – that are widely used in dietary supplements, conventional foods, and personal care products. Existing and proposed tariffs on these imported herbs may lead to higher prices, supply chain disruptions, and diminished global competitiveness for American companies.
“Millions of Americans rely on herbs to support their health and wellness,” said Graham Rigby, AHPA President & CEO. “It’s critical that our trade policies reflect the realities of the herbal supply chain and ensure that U.S. companies are not penalized for importing ingredients for which there is no potential for domestic supply.”
AHPA has been actively engaging with policymakers on Capitol Hill and throughout Washington, D.C., to voice member concerns on tariffs, advocate for relief from regulatory and trade challenges, and safeguard the critical role that dietary supplements and natural products play in supporting public health. AHPA invites members and industry stakeholders to utilize the leave-behind in their own advocacy efforts as well.
This new resource accompanies the recent publication of AHPA’s tariff toolkit, designed to help companies in the dietary supplement and herbal product industries stay informed and compliant as they navigate the evolving landscape of international trade and tariffs. Together, these materials underscore AHPA’s commitment to advocating for policies that promote industry growth while safeguarding consumer access to herbal products.
AHPA launches member webinar library
May 21, 2025
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is pleased to announce the launch of the AHPA Member Webinar Library, a new digital resource that provides members with on-demand access to educational webinars presented by AHPA in recent years and up through the present.
AHPA webinars cover a broad range of topics relevant to the dietary supplement and natural product industries — including regulatory updates, legal and compliance issues, quality and manufacturing practices, sustainable sourcing, scientific research, and more.
This new member resource reflects AHPA’s continued commitment to education and industry advancement, and makes it easier than ever for members to access expert knowledge at their convenience.
Webinars are now included as a benefit of AHPA membership. Register for AHPA’s upcoming Midyear Regulatory Update webinar on June 17 to join us live or stay tuned for access to the on-demand recording following the event.
AHPA attends U.S. Ginseng Summit
May 14, 2025
After a multi-year hiatus, the U.S. Ginseng Summit returned on May 5-7, 2025, in Wausau, Wisconsin, bringing together stakeholders from across the ginseng industry. The event was hosted in collaboration with the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin and sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and the Department of Natural Resources. The American Herbal Products Association’s Jane Wilson, Director of Program Development, attended the event to represent AHPA members who have an interest in this prominent North American botanical.
Dave Schumacher and Jackie Fett of the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin presenting on Wisconsin cultivated ginseng challenges.
In addition to AHPA, representatives of eight states that allow harvest of wild ginseng and six universities – including researchers and extension experts from across the country – were in attendance. Other attendees included staff from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), the Savanna Institute, the Menominee Tribal Conservation Department, and a variety of cultivated ginseng growers and forest farming specialists from multiple states.
Several sessions during the summit provided opportunities for states to share best practices and the challenges faced by licensing and enforcement programs for wild collection, and the importance of the cultivated ginseng industry to conservation efforts for wild populations. Research on the genetic diversity of ginseng and production of ginseng using organic practices was also presented. Other topics included the ongoing impact of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II controls on international trade for cultivated ginseng and current U.S. trade policies regarding tariffs with China, the major trade destination for American ginseng, both wild and cultivated.
Summit programming also included visits to two local cultivated ginseng operation – Kaiser Farms and AHPA member Hsu’s Ginseng Farm – where attendees observed how cultivated ginseng is planted, harvested, processed, dried, and packaged for retail sale.
Harvested ginseng roots at Hsu’s Ginseng.
Summit attendees standing along planting row at Kaiser Farms.
AHPA has maintained support for the wild-collected and cultivated ginseng industries for many years through its communication with staff of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regular attendance at CITES Plants Committee meetings, and the AHPA Non-Timber Forest Products Sub-Committee. AHPA also maintains a set of good stewardship harvesting brochures for each state the allows for the collected of wild ginseng.
AHPA publishes tariff toolkit to support global trade compliance
May 9, 2025
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has published a tariff toolkit for AHPA members, offering a collection of resources designed to help companies in the dietary supplement and herbal product industries stay informed and compliant as they navigate the evolving landscape of international trade and tariffs.
The tariff toolkit includes links to government websites, key regulatory references, and practical tools that can support members in managing customs classifications, identifying applicable tariffs, and responding to recent changes in U.S. trade policy.
“The global trade environment is complex and changing rapidly,” said Robert Marriott, AHPA Director of Regulatory Affairs. “We developed this resource to give our members a starting point for understanding and adapting to the shifting tariff landscape. While we plan to update the toolkit regularly, we also strongly encourage members to monitor official government channels for the most current information.”
AHPA will continue to track relevant developments and issue updates to the tariff toolkit as needed. For questions regarding tariffs, AHPA members are invited to contact Robert Marriott at rmarriott@ahpa.org.
AHPA submits comments to U.S. Department of Commerce Section 232 investigation
May 7, 2025
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has submitted comments to a request by the U.S. Department of Commerce Industry and Security Bureau (the “Bureau”), pursuant to an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (“Section 232”). Under this authority, the Bureau investigates the effects on national security of imports of covered commodities and issues a recommendation to the President, who may then enact a wide range of import controls, including additional duties, quotas, embargoes, or the creation of license fee systems.
In the comments, AHPA focuses on common and essential dietary ingredients found in Annex II to Executive Order 14257 (“Annex II”). Annex II exempts certain commodities defined under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule from a system of reciprocal tariffs created in the executive order. Per conversations with the U.S. Trade Representative, AHPA understands that all commodities in Annex II are either under prior import controls such as those authorized by Section 232, or are under investigation under Section 232 and will likely be placed under some form of import control.
AHPA's comments reflect that these ingredients in Annex II, such as vitamins and amino acids, play a vital role in the formulation of many dietary supplements, alongside uses in pharmaceutical, animal feed, conventional food and personal care product settings. AHPA discourages any recommendation of Section 232 controls for these valuable commodities, and emphasizes the challenges, hardships and limitations of possible domestic manufacturing of such commodities under circumstances of import controls. AHPA instead encourages the consideration of alternate, positive incentives for a diverse supply chain, such as direct federal support for domestic production.
“This is all stick and no carrot for commodities that require tremendous infrastructure to be viably produced anywhere”, said Robert Marriott, AHPA Director of Regulatory Affairs. “Positive incentives, not tariffs are the best and only path to domestic, scaled manufacturing.”
AHPA holds a general position of opposition to wide-reaching country-scale tariffs; the organization will continue to advocate for the relaxation and removal of these regimes where they affect the dietary supplement and herbal products communities.
AHPA welcomes Graham Rigby as President & CEO
May 5, 2025
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is pleased to announce that Graham Rigby is now serving as President & CEO. Since the announcement of his selection for the role at AHPA’s annual member meeting during Natural Products Expo West in March, Rigby has already been actively working with AHPA staff in service to members amid shifting federal priorities and leadership changes that are impacting the dietary supplement and natural product industries.
Over the past six weeks, Rigby — together with AHPA staff and counsel — has participated in key meetings with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and policymakers on Capitol Hill and throughout Washington, D.C. In and outside of these meetings, Rigby has been working to ensure that AHPA members' concerns are heard, to advocate for relief from regulatory and trade challenges, and to safeguard the critical role that dietary supplements and natural products play in supporting public health.
“I am deeply inspired by the efforts and energy of the incredible AHPA staff and community, especially as we navigate this period of significant challenges and unique opportunities for dietary supplements and natural products,” said Rigby. “It is an honor to lead the AHPA team as we build upon the remarkable legacy of late AHPA President Michael McGuffin. Together, we will maintain AHPA’s trusted voice and leadership position while embracing innovation and adaptability to meet the evolving needs of our members and the broader industry.”
With Rigby now officially at the helm of AHPA, Jane Wilson – who has been serving as Interim Executive Director since McGuffin stepped down as President of AHPA prior to his passing in February – has concluded her interim duties and will resume her role as AHPA Director of Program Development.
