The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) will host its virtual Congress on Regulatory Priorities in the Natural Products Market on Tuesday, Nov. 15.

The event will offer the latest updates and guidance on matters affecting the regulatory landscape of the dietary supplement and natural products industries.

Subject areas that will be addressed by the regulatory leaders at AHPA and industry experts include:

• Sports nutrition
• Hemp/CBD
• Psychedelic plants and fungi
• Pesticides
• FDA activity
• Midterm election outcomes

Previewing some of the topics, Nutraceuticals World caught up with AHPA’s Director of Regulatory Affairs Robert Marriott.

Nutraceuticals World (NW): There are many regulatory issues that shape the dietary supplement and natural products industries. First though, what are your takeaways (so far) from the 2022 midterm election results, and how the balance of power in Washington will impact the marketplace and regulations?

Robert Marriott, Director of Regulatory Affairs, American Herbal Products Association: Though not all races have been called in the midterm elections, Republicans are inching closer to a narrow majority in the House. Should the GOP take control of the House while Democrats maintain control of the Senate in the 118th Congress, a significant result is that high profile policy initiatives without broad support by the dietary supplement and natural products industries—such as mandatory product listing—would likely fall victim to House-Senate Congressional gridlock.

NW: There have been several state laws aimed at restricting access to certain products. Will this be a focus of discussion during AHPA’s Regulatory Congress?

Marriott: Bills attempting to restrict access to various classes of sports nutrition products have been cropping up around the country for years—the product of a sustained national campaign. AHPA and our Sports Nutrition Committee have actively advocated against laws like these that would limit consumer access to safe products from responsible manufacturers.

Our panel of industry leaders will discuss the best methods to address this type of proposed legislation in our opening session entitled, “On the Label or Behind the Counter? The Future of Sports Nutrition Taking Shape Today.

NW: What can people expect from the short form “Reg Talks” portion of AHPA’s Regulatory Congress?

Marriott: There are many regulatory issues of importance to the dietary supplement and natural products industries. In our short form Reg Talks—inspired by the brevity and subject matter focus of TED Talks—attendees will learn the need-to-know information on a variety of topics from subject matter experts.

NW: In your view, what regulations are working for the dietary supplement industry and what areas need improvement or more attention?

Marriott: AHPA is committed to advocating for modernizing dietary supplement regulations in ways that would benefit consumers. For instance, improvements are needed to the drug preclusion clause that has impacted safe access to such ingredients as CBD and NAC. In addition, regulations prohibiting the dissemination of truthful and not misleading information by brands to consumers are long overdue for an overhaul to meet the demands of today’s supplement market.