CRN mourns the loss of Dr. Robert Heaney, a distinguished calcium and vitamin D researcher and professor emeritus at Creighton University. Dr. Heaney was a friend and champion of the industry, and his life-long research helped positively alter the dialogue of evidence-based supplementation and nutrition. Soon after an obituary was published, CRN's Duffy MacKay shared his sentiments with NutraIngredients.com. Dr. Heaney died Aug. 6 after a battle with brain cancer.

Need help understanding FDA's new draft guidance on New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) notifications?

Looking for a convenient way to bolster your knowledge base on sweeping changes afoot when it comes to dietary supplement, ingredient, and medical foods regulations?

CRN and Informa Exhibitions are here to help with two value-priced webinars—$149 each for CRN members. Read more...

CRN recently highlighted two top-notch presenters on the agenda for The Conference, the association’s annual symposium for the dietary supplement industry, taking place Oct. 26–29 in Dana Point, California: Charlie Cook, editor and publisher of the Cook Political Report and columnist for the National Journal; and John Gerzema, best-selling author and social trends/data analyst. These speakers are in addition to the previously announced Doris Kearns Goodwin, world-renowned presidential historian, public speaker and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. See CRN’s events website for more—including the agenda for The Workshop: CRN’s Day of Science. Register now to ensure your spot at the host hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. For more information, contact Maya English (202-204-7687).

Since the release of the new NDI draft guidance, CRN has maintained an active presence in media coverage and industry dialogue. As companies navigate the 102-page document, CRN's Steve Mister and Duffy MacKay have submitted a number of pieces outlining the association's reactions and thoughts. Read more...

CRN is keeping an eye on New Jersey bill S 2502, introduced Aug. 26 in the state Senate. Although the text of the bill has not yet been released publicly, CRN anticipates it will closely resemble New York state bill A 3548—legislation that requires the creation of a “Dietary Supplement Safety Committee” within the state government to make recommendations on the safety and regulation of supplements. The bill title and brief description that were released closely resemble the New York legislation. In 2015, CRN submitted an oppose letter to New York Assemblymen Oritz and Zebrowski, urging the regulation of dietary supplements should be handled by FDA. CRN will issue a member alert analyzing the bill. For more information, contact Ingrid Lebert (202-204-7699).

In an upcoming webinar, Sept. 8 from 12:00–1:00 p.m., FDA research scientist Connie Ruzicka, Ph.D.,will explore the world-wide issue of adulterated supplements and the associated health risks consumers’ face. Dr. Ruzicka will present on FDA’s newly developed screening program designed to assess the quality and safety of products looking to go to market—ion mobility spectronomy (IMS) testing. Space is filling up quickly, so register today and secure your spot.

FDA issued several changes impacting the compliance dates listed in four of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)’s foundational rules. The changes provide more time for manufacturers to meet six sets of requirements related to obtaining assurances from their customers, additional time for importers of food contact substances, and a few more extensions designed to align compliance dates for particular food operations. Learn more on FDA's website.

CRN raised an eyebrow at a study suggesting calcium may raise the likelihood of dementia in older women, particularly among women with signs of previous cerebrovascular disease. The study, published earlier this month in Neurology, indicated that taking a calcium supplement may double a woman’s chances of developing the disease later in life. See CRN in the News, below, for CRN’s critical response.

"This new calcium study provides limited evidence to support its hypothesis, and therefore we caution against jumping to conclusions...The authors mined data from a decade-old observational study, which was not originally designed to assess calcium intake."

—CRN’s Duffy MacKay in Health Finder, “Calcium Supplements Might Raise Older Women's Dementia Risk." Dr. MacKay was also quoted in U.S. News & World Report.

What else did CRN have to say?

CRN wishes the best of luck to Mathew Richardson, who recently announced his departure from his position as a legislative assistant for Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Affairs. Mr. Richardson has collaborated with CRN for a number of years, as he worked to enact the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014, negotiated elevation of the division of dietary supplements to an office at FDA, and rallied to halt Sen. Blumenthal’s (D-CT) dietary supplement amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act. In a parting message to CRN and its members, Mr. Richardson provided the contact information for those filling his position in the interim. Any questions for Sen. Hatch regarding public health policy can be directed to Karen LaMontagne or Stuart Portman. CRN thanks Mr. Richardson for his work and wishes him well in future endeavors. For more information, contact Mike Greene (202-204-7699).

Recently, Kristen Blanchard, CRN Board member and CRN Government Relations Committee Chair, welcomed Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC) to Nutramax Laboratories’ South Carolina headquarters. Ms. Blanchard, who serves as vice president, external corporate affairs, at Nutramax Laboratories, enjoyed hosting the representative and former governor at their state of the art facility and discussing the ways in which the company contributes to the state and local economies. Nutramax Labratories has hosted multiple elected officials, including Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, and former presidential candidate Ben Carson, M.D. Read more...

Pharmavite LLC recently opened the doors of one of its manufacturing and packaging facilities to Alabama Attorney General (AG) Luther Strange for a tour. The AG spent his time at Pharmavite chatting with employees and observing operations. CRN’s Steve Mister observed that when companies reach out to elected officials and welcome them into their facilities, it rewards those companies and the industry generally with the opportunity to show off good manufacturing practices and the ways in which the industry responsibly conducts business.

CRN members are reminded that CRN-I’s seventh Scientific Symposium, “Optimal Nutrition and the Ever-Changing Dietary Landscape” will be held on Friday, Dec. 2 in Hamburg, Germany. The symposium will be held in tandem with the Codex Committee on Nutritional Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) meeting. Renowned experts from Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States will discuss supplementation and aging, social and economic trends in nutrition, and other industry trends. Registration is now open. See the CRN-I site for an agenda and register today.

In addition, coming up Sept. 25, CRN will hold a reception and scientific talk in New Delhi, India, before the Codex Coordinating Committee for Asia meeting. Dr. B. H. Lim, Chairperson of the Scientific Committee of ASEAN Alliance of Health Supplement Associations, will discuss the use of Codex guidelines for vitamin and mineral food supplements in the establishment of ASEAN maximum levels of vitamins and minerals in health supplements. Click here for details and registration.

Contact Maya English (202-204-7687) with questions.

Adding to the evidence that calcium supplementation is not related to heart health risk, authors of a study published recently in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort say they found no evidence that calcium supplement use was associated with elevated risk of myocardial infarction or cardiovascular disease (CVD). MESA involved 6,236 men and women for a period of 10.3 years. Dietary and supplemental intakes of calcium were assessed at baseline and at intervals throughout the study via telephone interview, along with information on interim hospital admissions, CVD related outpatient diagnoses and procedures and deaths. See abstract for more information.

See CRN's Research Watch for additional studies.

Check out the calendar and save the date for upcoming webinars and events...

September 7
Webinar:
Navigating FDA's 2016 NDI Draft Guidance: Expert Overview & Analysis
—MacKay; CRN staff

September 12–13
2016 DAGA Fall Policy Forum
Washington, DC
—Al-Mondhiry

September 13–14
National Academies of Sciences Workshop “Nutrition Across the Lifespan for Healthy Aging”
Washington, DC
—MacKay (presenting)

September 14
Fall Regulatory Roundup webinar
—MacKay (moderating)

September 14–16
Prospective Member Visits
Southern California (Los Angeles area)
—Hyland; Mister

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

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

September 18–20
Council for State Retail Associations Annual Conference
Charleston, SC
—Lebert

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

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

September 22–24
Natural Products Expo East
Baltimore, MD
—CRN Staff

September 25
CRN-I Scientific Session and Reception
New Delhi, India
—Griffiths (moderating)

September 26–27
NAD Advertising Conference
New York, NY
—Al-Mondhiry (presenting); Mister (presenting)

September 26–30
Codex Coordinating Committee for Asia (CCAsia)
New Delhi, India
—Griffiths

September 29–30
4th Annual Food & Beverage Litigation, Compliance and Regulatory Exchange
Chicago, IL
—Al-Mondhiry (presenting)

October 3–4
2016 NAAG Fall Consumer Protection Seminar
Phoenix, AZ
—Al-Mondhiry

October 5–8
SupplySide West
Las Vegas, NV
—CRN staff

October 8–13
International Society of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (ISNFF)
Orlando, FL
—Griffiths (moderating)

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 MORE DATES