The first: a piece of legislation that would require businesses to put nutritional supplements under lock and key. NPA notes in a press release that the legislation targets lipotropics, which are found in healthy foods including lean cuts of beef, chicken, turkey, and fish; thermogens, which are found in products containing caffeine; and muscle building supplements, such as amino acids and vitamin D.
The press release adds that the bill’s sponsors claim that this legislation is necessary due to an association between dietary supplements and eating disorders. NPA’s staff filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the FDA to determine if any such association existed, and found no adverse events or reporting associated with dietary supplements and eating disorders.
Related: NPA Responds to Article Blasting Dietary Supplements NJ Senate Passes Resolution Asking Congress for Safe CBD Legislation NPA Urges Healthcare Professionals to Report Adverse Effects
From a financial perspective, the legislation would burden small businesses, which would have to retrofit stores to comply with the law. The natural products industry contributes $5.75 billion in state and local taxes every year and supports over 750,000 jobs. NPA has urged the Illinois state treasury and/or the relevant budget and revenue committees in the legislature to conduct a formal analysis of the lost revenue that would result from this legislation. The release notes that NPA has blocked similar efforts in Massachusetts in the past.Kyle Turk, Deputy Director for Government Affairs for NPA, said in the release: “Nutritional supplements are simply natural ingredients found in foods. Restricting access to them is unfair to Illinois consumers, hurts responsible retailers, and drains the state budget through lost sales taxes. Nobody wins.”
The second bill: one that would prohibit the sale of cannabidiol (CBD) products that do not meet certain requirements set by the Illinois Department of Agriculture. NPA, according to a second press release, supports federal guidelines that would set a safe level of CBD consumption instead of a patchwork of state-level regulations.
Turk said in the release: “While we appreciate the Committee’s attention to this important issue, we believe that clear federal guidelines and safety standards are far superior to a patchwork of state-level rules. Setting a safe level of consumption for CBD products at the federal level is the best way to move forward with this promising new product while protecting consumers.”
NPA was scheduled to testify this morning with regards to both bills, but the hearings were canceled. NPA will continue to push back against both bills.
