CRN names globally-recognized company to implement product registry
CRN has selected the global independent safety science company UL to spearhead the development and administration of the new industry-wide dietary supplement product registry. UL is well known to the retailer community and dietary supplement industry through its Prospector database and reputation for consumer product safety, and CRN President and CEO Steve Mister is confident that UL will develop “a viable, adaptable product registry that will serve regulators, retailers, manufacturers, and ultimately consumers, over time.”
The new registry will be accessible via the web and will include full label information for dietary supplement products. Beta testing will occur this summer with the expectation that the product registry will launch later this year. Said Mr. Mister, “The supplement product registry will help create a fuller picture about the dietary supplement industry for industry regulators and serve retailers as a one-stop shop to help compare product labels.” More information about the registry is available on CRN's website. |
CRN halts two bills that would impact supplement retailers
In Puerto Rico, Senate Bill 1599 was dismissed thanks to the efforts of CRN, its member companies, industry allies, and consumers. Considered by the Puerto Rican legislature, the bill attempted to legitimize Puerto Rico Department of Health Administrative Order 346, which establishes a registration fee for the dietary supplements sold on the island, as well as registration fees for the retailers who sell them. The Order unfairly taxes the supplement industry and will yield higher prices for consumers. CRN argued such a tax was unjustified, as the products in question are ones that “Puerto Ricans rely on as an important component of their health and wellness regimens.”
In Massachusetts, CRN has been actively opposing Massachusetts House Bill 3471 since last summer. That bill would have prohibited the sale of certain dietary supplements to minors (such as those intended for weight management or athletic performance) and mandated that such products be held behind pharmacy counters. “These are products that are safe, legal, and regulated,” said Mike Greene, vice president, government relations at CRN. “It is important that consumers in Massachusetts have uninhibited access to these products.” Thanks to the state legislators’ recognition of the bill’s needless restriction attempts, it has been sent to a study conducted by the Joint Committee on Public Health , eliminating the possibility of it passing this legislative season. |
CRN defends supplementation during pregnancy
Disputing claims that the use of nutritional supplements during pregnancy is unnecessary, CRN promptly released a statement from Duffy MacKay, N.D., senior vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs.
Addressing an alarming Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin report, Dr. MacKay cited the recommendations of several reputable organizations and stressed that “Pregnant women [should] take a multivitamin as the nutrients in these supplements not only support the health of the mother, but folic acid and iodine have been shown to critically contribute to the overall development of the fetus. Pregnancy is no time to gamble.” |
CRN Foundation and NAD celebrate one decade of self-regulatory success
2016 marks the ten-year anniversary of the self-regulatory advertising monitoring program administered by the National Advertising Division (NAD) and funded by the Council for Responsible Nutrition Foundation (CRNF). Dedicated to ensuring dietary supplement ads are truthful and not misleading, the NAD program monitors, reviews, and challenges dietary supplement ads to level the playing field for competitors and help ensure consumers can trust supplement ads. CRNF has provided nearly $2.1 million in grants to the program which has completed over 250 challenges to date.
Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez congratulated CRN and NAD on the ten-year partnership, commenting “The CRN/NAD initiative shows just how impactful meaningful self-regulation can be...the program has been a valuable complement to the FTC’s own enforcement efforts to eliminate fraud in this industry.” CRN will highlight the NAD program efforts at its upcoming annual conference for the dietary supplement industry, taking place October 26–29, at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, California.
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