JULY 2025
Past Editions—Need to Know Archives
IN THIS EDITION:
Here’s what retailers need to know:
- Connect with CRN at NACDS Total Store Expo
- Tariffs Are Coming: CRN educates USTR, Commerce, and White House officials on unique role of supplements
- California bill to require prenatal supplement testing advances; CRN at the table
- What MAHA means for the supplement category
Connect with CRN at NACDS Total Store Expo
CRN President & CEO Steve Mister will be on site at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Total Store Expo in San Diego Aug. 23–25.
Mister will be available to meet with retail executives with questions or concerns about recent developments in the dietary supplement sector, such as those covered in this newsletter and more.
Contact Steve via email—smister@crnusa.org—or message on LinkedIn to set up a time to meet in San Diego.
Tariffs Are Coming: CRN educates USTR, Commerce, and White House officials on unique role of supplements
Like many other consumer goods, dietary supplements will be impacted by the pending tariffs. So while consumers are increasingly turning to supplements for selfcare and wellness, supplements could be vulnerable to increased costs from tariffs.
CRN is engaging with U.S. officials on tariffs, meeting with key U.S. trade offices to educate them of the global supply chains and the critical roles supplements play and to highlight the risks to consumer access, domestic jobs, the overall U.S. economy, and public health.
CRN discussed issues outlined in its Section 232 comments with officials from the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement at the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce, and with the White House National Economic Council.
What we’re saying: “The vast majority of finished dietary supplements consumed in the U.S. are manufactured, packaged, and labeled domestically, even though the ingredients—vitamins, minerals, botanicals, amino acids, and others—are often sourced globally due to practical limitations in domestic production,” CRN's comments noted.
CRN warned severe unintended consequences could result from sector-specific tariffs aimed at pharmaceuticals but inadvertently applied to supplements, including supply chain disruptions, product shortages, increased costs to consumers, and the offshoring of U.S. manufacturing jobs.
Tariff-induced supply chain stress could elevate risks of adulteration, with increasing pressure to cut corners to control costs, CRN also noted.
By the numbers—CRN’s comments highlighted that the dietary supplement industry:
- Supports more than 616,000 American jobs
- Generates nearly $158 billion in total economic output annually, and provides significant tax revenue for federal, state, and local governments.
- In addition, CRN underscored the public health role of dietary supplements, noting that approximately 75% of American adults use supplements to support their health and wellness.
CRN held a webinar on July 23, “Tariffs Today: Implications for Dietary Supplements,” exploring how the latest tariff scenarios could affect importers and exporters, offering advice from a customs-broker on managing cost and risk, and discussing practical steps to fortify supply chains while uncertainty persists. The webinar recording is available to Need to Know retail partner readers upon request—please contact Gretchen Powers (gpowers@crnusa.org) for access.
California bill to require prenatal supplement testing advances; CRN at the table
California legislation that would impose new testing and disclosure requirements on prenatal multivitamins is advancing as CRN continues discussions with stakeholders to minimize potential negative impact on mothers-to-be, most recently providing testimony earlier this month during two separate hearings on the measure.
The bill, S.B.646, would require prenatal multivitamin testing for four elements: arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury and was modeled after CA A.B. 899, which targeted baby food.
- Product labels would be required to refer consumers to the brand owner’s website, which would contain the test results for the products on the detectable levels of heavy metals.
- Recent amendments at CRN’s request would add a disclosure explaining that certain foods and essential nutrients also contain naturally occurring heavy metals, so that expectant mothers understand that exposure to heavy metals may occur regardless of whether nutrients are obtained through prenatal multivitamins or through one’s diet.
CRN has consistently expressed concern that drawing undue attention to the presence of detectable levels of heavy metals may discourage pregnant women from using these critical products for healthy pregnancies.
Some manufacturers have already chosen to omit or reduce key nutrients to achieve lower heavy metal levels, further depriving women of important prenatal nutrition.
CRN continues to work with the bill’s author, California state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D., sponsors to ensure that S.B.646:
- Does not dissuade expectant mothers from taking prenatal multivitamins
- Creates a level playing field for all manufacturers regardless of the levels of nutrients contained in their prenatal multivitamins.
The CRN Foundation spotlighted prenatal nutrition at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting. The CRN Foundation's Prenatal Nutrition Center booth offered clinicians valuable resources on how nutritional supplementation can help address the nutrient gaps commonly seen in pregnant and lactating women. In addition, CRN Foundation presented an educational session titled “Nourish & Thrive: Optimizing Nutrition and Prenatal Supplementation for a Healthy Pregnancy and Beyond.”
“Most pregnant women in the U.S. do not meet their increased nutritional requirements through diet alone. Our goal is to equip healthcare professionals with the latest science on how prenatal supplements can help support healthier outcomes for both mothers and babies,” said Andrea Wong, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, CRN. “By collaborating with leading researchers and clinicians, we are advancing the conversation about evidence-based nutritional support during pregnancy and lactation.”
What MAHA means for the supplement category
The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement could bring new attention to the valuable roles dietary supplements can play for better health and nutrition, but it also brings heightened scrutiny from detractors driving legislative and regulatory risks that could bring unintended setbacks. CRN is actively engaging with members of the new Administration and leaders of the movement itself to manage these risks and identify opportunities to improve health.
Self-GRAS
The CRN team met with FDA Acting Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Kyle Diamantas to share concerns about Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s call to eliminate self-GRAS. CRN noted the better solution is not to abolish self-GRAS, which would stifle innovation, but to provide FDA with the resources and tools it needs to maintain an effective regulatory system that fosters both safety and progress.
Dietary Guidelines
As HHS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture finalize new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, CRN called on the agencies to “meet people where they are” by acknowledging the role of dietary supplements in addressing persistent nutrient shortfalls. If the Guidelines are to become shorter and consumer-focused, as indicated by Secretary Kennedy, CRN urged that dietary supplement recommendations should not be omitted.
CRN emphasized the value of supplements, noting that while nutrient-dense foods and beverages should remain the foundation of healthy eating, “additional strategies to meet recommended intakes are needed to help Americans promote health and prevent diet-related chronic diseases,” recommending specific updates for the general population, for older Americans, and for pregnant and lactating women.
De-regulation
In addition, CRN called for attention to pending action from FDA in formal comments submitted to HHS responding to its recent request for information on regulatory reform, also recommending several FDA regulations and guidance for rescission or revision.
HSA/FSA's and supplements
Key members of the new Administration recognize supplements' role in supporting wellness. That opens the door for long-sought policy wins—like allowing broad use of pretax Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) funds to purchase supplements. With healthcare reform and major tax legislation on the 2025 agenda, CRN is working to align this momentum with smart policy change—a key talking point during its “Day on the Hill” member lobbying fly-in in June.
Clarity on drug preclusion
There’s also movement on resolving the drug preclusion issue that’s sowed innovation-stifling uncertainty for supplements, most recently with the ingredients NMN, NAC and CBD. FDA is expected to respond to CRN’s citizen petition by Sept. 30. At the same time, CRN is advocating for updates to DSHEA to make FDA oversight more effective, including using third-party audits and allowing more accurate, science-based claims on supplement labels.
MAHA can be a double-edged sword, triggering renewed criticism of supplements. CRN's voluntary self-regulatory programs help demonstrate to consumers, retailers, and regulators that this industry takes safety and responsibility seriously.