The American Conference Institute in collaboration with the Council for Responsible Nutrition is hosting the Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Forum on Dietary Supplements which will be taking place at New York City in the Intercontinental Time Square from June 18-20. It is a time for transition for the industry with a new presidential administration, a new commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as well as the imminent departure of Senator Orrin Hatch.

This means preparing for the ongoing changes and the potential future of the industry. The expectation to learn and understand these topics is clear for manufacturers, but it’s also important for natural products retailers to understand the issues because they ultimately affect the merchandise on your shelves, how your business operates and what your customers have access to. You can still register for the conferencehere, but if you are unable to attend,WholeFoodswill be covering the event and fill you in on the details.

Some topics we look forward to learning more about are:

  • Update on Self-Regulatory Initiatives in the Dietary Supplement Marketplace — Self-regulation has been an important and growing aspect of the industry, in reaction to actions taken against the industry by state attorneys general in previous years and ongoing problems with bad actors giving the industry a bad name. Initiatives such as CRN's Supplement OWL and the Global Retailer and Manufacturer Alliance (GRMA) have launched as an effort to self police as well as create a more agreeable framework for federal regulators should they decide to create similar initiatives. This session is an update on the ongoing progress on these initiatives.

  • Introducing CBD Hemp Oil into the Dietary Supplement Space: Controversies, Legal Concerns and Commerciality — More and more retailers are stocking hemp-based phytocannabinoid products, but there remain some legal concerns as certain jurisdictions do not understand how to treat CBD products with less than 0.3% THC. In this session, attendees will learn how to assess the risks of manufacturing or selling these products.

  • Case Study on the Future of Fish Oil: Exploring The Consequences of Retroactively Declaring a Dietary Supplement a Drug — The International Trade Commission is attempting to change the classification of EPA fish oil for drug classification. This would have huge ramifications on the industry and speakers will guide you through the complexities and challenges relative to declaring a supplement a drug in an obscure provision of DSHEA.

  • Coattail Claims: The Latest Influx of Class Action Litigation Impacting Dietary Supplements — Examining recent class action filings against dietary supplement manufacturers and how to minimize exposure and mitigate risk.