Washington, D.C.—On April 12–13, the Natural Products Association (NPA) held its 2016 annual Natural Products Day at which 100 retail and manufacturing representatives of the natural products industry met with members of Congress from 20 different states and their staff.



Among the issues on the lobbying agenda, NPA's requested lawmakers take action on these issues:

  • To oppose the Dietary Supplement Labeling Act (DSLA) when re-introduced in 114th Congress and any other unnecessary regulations on the supplements industry.
  • To request a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report examining the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC’s) waste of taxpayer dollars related to Bayer vs FTC. While NPA welcomes appropriate FTC action, the group opposes any actions that violate the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).
  • Promote uniform and voluntary labeling of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) at the federal level.
  • To co-sponsor and help pass the Health Savings Act of 2016, which would allow reimbursement for supplements from health savings and flexible spending accounts.
  • For Congress to support a bill that will requirement GMPs to be created for the cosmetics industry and push for FDA to clarify the term natural in personal care products and properly define it.
  • To avoid redundancy in legislation for the dietary supplement industry and to make supplements safer for consumers

 

The event started off with a “Welcome to Washington” reception where attendees had the opportunity to meet the NPA’s government relations team, as well as get a first look at the new national headquarters located in downtown D.C. The Natural Products Association Political Action Committee (NPA PAC), which supports candidates who share the interests and efforts of the industry’s dedication to healthy living, hosted a reception for attendees on the night of April 12th. Participants also got the chance to meet their elected officials on April 13th, followed by another evening reception on Capitol Hill.

According to Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., executive director and CEO of NPA, in a press statement, “It’s important for Members of Congress to understand how natural products contribute to the healthy lifestyles of millions of Americans and the impact the industry has on state and local economies...Natural Products Day is an opportunity for NPA members to build on existing relationships with lawmakers and cultivate new ones.”

 

Published in WholeFoods Magazine June 2016 (Online, 4/20/16)