04.03.20
The Natural Products Association has launched an online petition requesting that retailers specializing in dietary supplements and health food are deemed essential businesses. While guidance from the Department of Homeland Security has, more or less, been implemented fully or almost-fully in most U.S. states to allow for natural products retailers to remain open, NPA reports that state and local officials have ordered the closures of a number of stores specializing in health food and/or dietary supplements, under the auspices of Governor Steve Sisolak’s executive order. The emergency order was issued in response to COVID-19 on March 20.
Under the relevant section of Nevada’s essential businesses list, there is no mention of dietary supplements, or other products that would ordinarily be sold at retailers specializing in natural products.
The executive order reads, “'Essential Licensed Businesses’ means a business operating in the state of Nevada that provides…. (c) Grocery stores, including supermarkets, food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, convenience stores, farm and produce stands, and other retail sale of canned and dry goods, fresh produce, frozen foods, fresh meats, fish, and poultry.”
The petition that NPA started suggests that the association is hoping to gain enough grassroots support for state-level officials to amend the order to allow for the continued operation of health food stores. NPA suggests that these closures restrict access to essential products sold by these stores, including water, electrolytes, nutritional supplements, healthy food options, and other health-related products including hand sanitizer.
NPA’s president and CEO, Daniel Fabricant, PhD, described the closures of health food stores in Nevada as an “assault on small businesses.”
“Governor Sisolak’s decision is shortsighted and inconsistent with the federal government nad other states and amounts to an assault on small businesses,” Fabricant said. “We hope that is not the governor’s intention.”
Tangentially, homeopathic medical providers will be allowed to remain open as an essential healthcare operation, and all food processing and supply chain logistics operations will remain open, including warehousing, storage, distribution, and other related operations.
Under the relevant section of Nevada’s essential businesses list, there is no mention of dietary supplements, or other products that would ordinarily be sold at retailers specializing in natural products.
The executive order reads, “'Essential Licensed Businesses’ means a business operating in the state of Nevada that provides…. (c) Grocery stores, including supermarkets, food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, convenience stores, farm and produce stands, and other retail sale of canned and dry goods, fresh produce, frozen foods, fresh meats, fish, and poultry.”
The petition that NPA started suggests that the association is hoping to gain enough grassroots support for state-level officials to amend the order to allow for the continued operation of health food stores. NPA suggests that these closures restrict access to essential products sold by these stores, including water, electrolytes, nutritional supplements, healthy food options, and other health-related products including hand sanitizer.
NPA’s president and CEO, Daniel Fabricant, PhD, described the closures of health food stores in Nevada as an “assault on small businesses.”
“Governor Sisolak’s decision is shortsighted and inconsistent with the federal government nad other states and amounts to an assault on small businesses,” Fabricant said. “We hope that is not the governor’s intention.”
Tangentially, homeopathic medical providers will be allowed to remain open as an essential healthcare operation, and all food processing and supply chain logistics operations will remain open, including warehousing, storage, distribution, and other related operations.
