CRN will reach thousands of influencers at #BlogHer16: Experts Among Us, the largest conference worldwide that brings together women bloggers, taking place in Los Angeles this week, Aug. 4–6. CRN’s Communications team, along with CRN’s Duffy MacKay, N.D., will be on site working to increase awareness of the benefits of dietary supplements and to develop new relationships with today’s content creators. In addition to exhibiting at the three-day event, CRN will host a lunch talk for a small group of bloggers on Aug. 5—Get Healthy; Get Wise—with an interactive panel discussion on “the do’s, the news, and the clues” about dietary supplements. The lunch event will also feature a special presentation by Howard Schiffer, Ph.D., Vitamin Angels founder and president. CRN is also bringing in a group of reputable healthcare practitioners to serve as “wellness ambassadors” at its exhibit booth, available to offer suggestions and answer questions about improving nutrition, filling nutrient gaps and the role of vitamins and other dietary supplements in healthy living. Learn more in CRN’s press release.

CRN said “Overwhelmingly, dietary supplements are safe and play a valuable role in helping Americans live healthy lifestyles” in response to a negative cover story in the September issue of Consumer Reports. The dietary supplement multi-article edition focused on dietary supplement regulation and 15 ingredients the publication touted as unsafe. CRN alerted members and rapidly responded prior to the embargo lifting. In addition to trade press covering CRN’s response, CBS News outlets included a portion of the association’s statement. In addition, CRN’s Steve Mister was quoted in Consumer Reports. See CRN in the News for more.

World-renowned presidential historian, public speaker and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Ph.D. headlines Saturday’s very special “Breakfast With...” session at The Conference: CRN’s Annual Symposium for the Dietary Supplement Industry, taking place Oct. 26–29 at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, in California. Dr. Goodwin’s session on Oct. 29 will be followed by one additional not-to-be missed speaker, to be announced. Dr. Goodwin joins a new crop of top-level speakers including editor and publisher of the Cook Political Report and columnist for the National Journal, Charlie Cook; best-selling author and social trends/data analyst John Gerzema; best-selling author and digital marketing expert Mitch Joel; and best-selling author and creator of the Fascination Advantage, Sally Hogshead. CRN will roll out announcements about these speakers—and more—in upcoming weeks. See CRN’s events website for details and register today: www.crnusa.org/2016events.

With twenty years of industry company experience in quality management, Gisele Atkinson has joined CRN as vice president, quality and technical affairs, a new position in the association’s science and regulatory department. Ms. Atkinson previously worked for Renew Life Formulas Inc., New Chapter, Inc., SwissCaps Inc., and NBTY Rexall Sundown. Her supervisory and hands-on expertise in quality control, quality assurance and research will provide CRN members with another valuable association resource. Find out more in CRN’s press statement. Ms. Atkinson can be reached at 202-204-7671 or gatkinson@crnusa.org.

Members of Congress have returned to their states and home districts for the annual “August Recess”—the perfect time for companies to connect with congressional representatives back home. From hosting a facilities tour, to setting up an appointment in their district office, to hosting or attending a campaign fundraiser, engaging with representatives provides a key opportunity to inform them about the benefits of dietary supplements and functional food. In addition, with CRN’s new on-line resource, CRN member companies can easily demonstrate to their representatives the supplement industry’s economic impact by state or locality. These meetings also offer a face-to-face opportunity to educate Members of Congress on the ample regulations that oversee the manufacturing and marketing of these products. Additional details are available on CRN’s Members Only website—including a Congressional Recess Handbook and instructions on downloading the association’s Government Relations app. For more information, contact Ingrid Lebert (202-204-7699).

CRN’s Rend Al-Mondhiry recently attended the Conference of Western Attorneys General in Sun Valley, Idaho, continuing the association’s efforts to help ensure these state officials and their offices get the facts about the safety and benefits of dietary supplements and the robust regulatory framework that governs their manufacture and sales. Ms. Al-Mondhiry is pictured here with Attorney General Doug Chin of Hawaii. For more information, contact Rend Al-Mondhiry (202-204-7672).

As reported in the last edition of The Report, federal GMO labeling legislation passed in the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Obama Friday, July 29. CRN made available to its members summaries of the new law from Covington & Burling and Sidley Austin, as well as its own overview. For more information, contact Mike Greene (202-204-7699).

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) has accepted an appointment to serve as the chairman of a bicameral task force charged under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (Promesa) with investigating the causes and possible solutions to Puerto Rico’s debt crisis. Among the concerns the committee will review is Administrative Order (AO) 346 which mandates product registration requirements for dietary supplements and places an unfair tax burden on the dietary supplement industry. CRN continues to be actively engaged in Puerto Rico, having recently helped defeat an onerous bill that sought to legitimize AO 346 without allowing for following the proper legislative/regulatory channels. The task force must report by Dec. 31 on “impediments in current federal law and programs to economic growth in Puerto Rico.” Contact Mike Greene for more information (202-204-7699).

There needs to be an official framework for setting Upper Limits on bioactive nutrients, according to data presented at a session at the recent annual summer meeting of the Toxicology Forum in Salt Lake City, Utah. CRN’s Jim Griffiths moderated the session, which suggested a DRI-like process should be considered. The panel included the following experts: Allison A. Yates, Ph.D. R.D., consultant on Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) to the Food and Nutrition Board, National Academy of Medicine (formerly Institute of Medicine); John W. Erdman Jr., Ph.D., of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Andrew Shao, Ph.D., of Herbalife Nutrition; and Laurie Dolan, Ph.D., of Burdock Group Consultants. For more information, contact Jim Griffiths (202-204-7662).

“More than 150 million Americans take dietary supplements each year...Overwhelmingly, dietary supplements are safe and play a valuable role in helping Americans live healthy lifestyles. The industry is regulated by the FDA, and the robust regulations give the government the ability to remove unsafe products from the market. It is patently illegal for products to be sold as dietary supplements if they contain prescriptions or illegal drugs, and we urge the government to use its enforcement authority to protect consumers from those products.”

—CRN statement in response to the September issue of Consumer Reports, appearing in coverage from ABC News, CBS This Morning, WCBS (New York)—a portion of CRN’s statement appeared on screen on CBS coverage

What else did CRN have to say?

CRN this week congratulates Anthony Wroblewski who, effective Aug. 1, is promoted to government relations associate. Mr. Wroblewski, who started at CRN a year ago as membership & government relations assistant will now focus specifically on government relations issues, working with Mike Greene and Ingrid Lebert on CRN’s Government Relations team. (CRN will soon announce a new membership and meetings manager.) Mr. Wroblewski will be responsible for managing the CRN PAC, lobbying reports, and relations with the Congressional Dietary Supplement Caucus as well as handling general government relations staff duties. He is pictured here (left) with Virginia Senator Mark Warner and CRN summer intern Henry Winkelhake and at The Fund for American Studies 2016 Congressional Scholarship Awards banquet July in Washington, D.C. Anthony can be reached at awroblewski@crnusa.org or 202-204-7672.

The National Institutes of Health will hold a workshop and simultaneous videocast this fall—“Iron Screening and Supplementation of Iron-replete Pregnant Women and Young Children.” Taking place in Bethesda, Maryland, September 28–29, the workshop aims to provide a focus for iron screening and supplementation in the U.S. and developed countries as well as to specify data gaps and research needs. Find out more and register online.

Supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 reduces cardiovascular mortality in the elderly with low selenium status, according to a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial, published in PLoS One. Serum selenium concentration was measured in 668 healthy elderly individuals. Of these, 219 individuals received daily supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 combined for four years, with other groups receiving either a placebo or nothing. Supplementation was found to be cardio-protective in those with a low selenium concentration. See abstract for more information.

See CRN's Research Watch for additional studies.

SupplySide West, taking place Oct. 4–8 in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay, is an industry gathering point where science and strategy intersect. The show presents a great opportunity to form mutually beneficial business relationships at networking events, with 14,000 participants, 120+ hours of education, and 10,000 ingredients and services. For only $159 through Aug. 8, gain access to: the Two-Day Expo Hall, SupplySide Central programming, FDA Featured Speaker Presentation and VendorBriefs. Find solutions that will drive revenue, market share and consumer loyalty. Register here: supplysideshow.com.

CRN staff head to LA for BlogHer, meet with retail executives, and more...

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

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