CRN alerted members and rapidly responded last week to a report published in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin that suggested pregnant women do not need nutritional supplementation. CRN’s statement cited recommendations from reputable medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society, and the American Thyroid Association that pregnant women obtain at least 150 mcg of iodine daily, and highlighted the association’s recently developed guidelines urging the dietary supplement industry to ensure that prenatal multivitamins contain adequate iodine. See CRN in the News for more.

Following the announcement that CRN is partnering with UL to develop and administer the new dietary supplement product registry, CRN President & CEO Steve Mister updated members with top-line items you need-to-know information. Mr. Mister positioned the registry as a starting point on which other initiatives can be built and described a two-tiered structure; participation in the first tier will be required of CRN membership by mid-year 2017. Read more on CRN’s Members Only website.

When it comes to vitamin E nutrient reference values (NRVs), 9 mg per day is too low for the general population, CRN’s Jim Griffiths explained during a recent meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) in Rome, Italy. Read more...

The U.S. House of Representatives last week agreed to Senate amendments on legislation mandating labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMO) and passed S 764 (306-117), the Biotech Labeling Solutions Act. Read more...

Registration for CRN’s annual events—The Workshop and The Conference—is now open. CRN has released the agenda for The Workshop: CRN’s Day of Science, taking place Oct. 26, immediately before The Conference: CRN’s Annual Symposium for the Dietary Supplement Industry, Oct. 26–29. The Day of Science will feature an array of scientific experts and presentations on topics ranging from important research to practical applications. Find out more...

• FTC announces Herbalife settlement
• FDA updates FSMA rule on facilities registration
• FDA approves vitamin D increase for milk and alternatives
• That’s not “natural,” FTC tells four firms
  
  Read more...
  
  

CRN members can attend a Santa Ana, California, workshop on the new regulations for food and supplement nutrition panels Aug. 11 at a discounted rate of $25 off when they register with this special link. They workshop is hosted by Knowledge Bank, a California-based consulting service and the labeling firm Ideal Print Solutions. (Early bird rates end July 31).

Learn:

• WHAT text must appear starting July 26
• HOW to mitigate financial pressure from these changes utilizing case studies and strategic planning
• WHO will be watching that you get it right

Find out more on the Knowledge-Bank website or contact clientservices@knowledge-bank.net for additional details.

“We are confident that the dietary supplement product registry will provide a viable, adaptable product registry that will serve regulators, retailers, manufacturers, and ultimately consumers, over time.”

—CRN’s Steve Mister in Nutritional Outlook, “CRN Taps UL to Develop Supplement Products Registry.”

Chain Drug Review Online, Nutraceuticals World Online, NutraIngredients and Vitamin Retailer also covered the news quoting Mr. Mister and Whole Foods Magazine quoted CRN’s Duffy MacKay.

What else did CRN have to say?

CRN’s Communications department recently announced two staff positions have been filled. Julia Shenkar joined CRN as senior manager, communications and Holly Vogtman as communications assistant.

Ms. Shenkar’s responsibilities will include writing press materials, content development and media relations. See more in her bio. She can be reached at: jshenkar@crnusa.org, 202-204-7689.

Ms. Vogtman’s work at CRN includes handling media relations with trade press, writing press materials, and logistics for department projects. See more in her bio. She can be reached at: hvogtman@crnusa.org, 202-204-7665.

CRN continued its outreach to attorneys general (AG) and their offices throughout the U.S. last week meetings in Colorado, offering facts about dietary supplements to counter misinformation. CRN’s Rend Al-Mondhiry and Alan Lewis, of member company Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, visited with consumer protection staff from the Colorado AG’s office. Among the topics discussed was the dietary supplement industry’s economic impact in Colorado. Later this month Ms. Al-Mondhiry will attend the Conference of Western Attorneys General. For more information, contact Rend Al-Mondhiry (202-204-7672).

The state of Rhode Island recently passed a law banning the sale of pure powdered caffeine to consumers under the age of 18. CRN had reached out to Rhode Island’s governor about caffeine, supporting the ban and urging that precautions be issued to all consumers. In its letter, CRN echoed FDA’s advice in its consumer advisory, noting that the association outlines the same in its recommended guidelines for caffeine-containing dietary supplements and that states like Ohio and Illinois have already passed laws to ensure the safety of their citizens. For more information, contact Ingrid Lebert (202-204-7699).

The Congressional Dietary Supplement Caucus (DSC) recently added a new member as Rep. Marsha Blackburn (D-TN) joined last week. This brings the total members to 40, a new record. The DSC provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and information on dietary supplements—directing attention to the role of dietary supplements in health promotion and disease prevention. For more information, contact Anthony Wroblewski (202-204-7672).

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) Clinical Digest for health care professionals examined current evidence for several natural products marketed for improving inflammatory conditions. NCCIH covered turmeric, bromelain, willow bark, omega-3 fatty acids, devil’s claw, ginger and thunder god vine. See more on the NCCIH website.

A Black Cohosh Botanical Adulterants Bulletin is the most recent publication in the new series of Botanical Adulterants Bulletins (BABs) produced by the American Botanical Council (ABC)-American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP)-National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR) Botanical Adulterants Program (BAP). Previously released BABs include those on: goldenseal root; bilberry fruit extract; skullcap herb; and grape seed extract. All BABs are free to access with registration on BAP website. 

The International Society for the Development of Research on Magnesium noted CRN’s sponsorship of its recent XIV International Magnesium Symposium “Magnesium in Health and Disease." Contact CRN’s Andrea Wong for more information (202-204-7660).

A systematic review of randomized control trials (RCTs) published recently in the journal Nutrition Research evaluated current literature on the impact of probiotic supplementation on anxiety and depression symptoms in humans. RCTs identified from in a search of multiple databases, including Medline, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, were evaluated and indicate the detection of apparent psychological benefits from probiotic supplementation. See abstract for more information.

See CRN's Research Watch for additional studies.

JULY 16–19
Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
Chicago, IL
—Griffiths

JULY 17–20
Conference of Western Attorneys General
Sun Valley, ID
—Al-Mondhiry

JULY 24–28
Toxicology Forum 40th Annual Summer Meeting
Salt Lake City, UT
—Griffiths (presenting)

JULY 27
CRN’s Government Relations Committee Teleconference
Washington, DC
—Greene; Lebert; Wroblewski

JULY 27–30
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians 2016 Annual Convention & Exhibition: A Diversified Experience
Salt Lake City, Utah
—MacKay

JULY 28–29
FDLI Intro to Food Law
Chicago, IL
—Al-Mondhiry (presenting)

AUGUST 3–6
BlogHer
Los Angeles, California
—Blatman; Weindruch; Shenkar; Vogtman; MacKay

AUGUST 9–11
Global Retailers & Manufacturers Alliance (GRMA) Summit
Ann Arbor, MI
—MacKay

AUGUST 14–16
American Society of Association Executives Annual Meeting
Salt Lake City, UT
—Mister

AUGUST 14–16
Sen. Hatch / Utah Charities Golf Tournament
Park City, UT
—Lebert

AUGUST 17
Retailer and member meetings
Boise, ID
—Mister

AUGUST 18
Retailer and member meetings
Seattle, WA
—Mister

AUGUST 24–25
Retailer meetings
Michigan
—Mister

SEPTEMBER 15–16
3rd Semi-Annual Food Labeling: Evolving Regulatory Compliance Conference
Alexandria, VA
—Wong

SEPTEMBER 18–20
RAPS Regulatory Convergence
San Jose, CA
—MacKay (presenting)

SEPTEMBER 20
CRN Executive Committee Meeting
Baltimore, MD
—CRN Staff

SEPTEMBER 21
CRN Board of Directors Meeting
Baltimore, MD
—CRN Staff

OCTOBER 26
The Workshop: CRN’s Day of Science
Dana Point, CA
—CRN Staff

OCTOBER 26–29
The Conference: CRN’s Annual Symposium for the Dietary Supplement Industry
Dana Point, CA
—CRN Staff

SEE FULL CALENDAR, WITH ADDITIONAL DATES ADDED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR