Trade Associations Commend Senators Lee and Sinema for Highlighting Dietary Supplements and Establishing Natural Products Industry Week

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

Today the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), and the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA), organizations representing dietary supplement manufacturers, marketers, and ingredient suppliers, released the below statements commending Senators Lee (R-UT) and Sinema (I-AZ) on their resolution recognizing the importance of dietary supplements and highlighting the natural products industry’s contributions to America’s health and economy.

Data from the latest CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements released in October 2022 shows 75 percent of U.S. adults report using dietary supplements to help maintain a healthy lifestyle, and a similar survey conducted in July by Consumer Reports put that figure at more than 80 percent. Further, data from CRN’s 2022 Health Care Cost Savings Report indicates that dietary supplement regimens can reduce risks associated with several chronic diseases, as well as contribute to potentially billions of dollars in healthcare cost savings. Specifically, there is evidence that the use of dietary supplement ingredients by targeted populations can significantly reduce direct and indirect medical costs related to health conditions such as coronary artery disease, osteoporosis, and cognitive decline.

AHPA President Michael McGuffin, stated, “We look forward to working with Senators Lee and Sinema, and other Members of Congress, to pursue bipartisan initiatives that raise the visibility of our industry and ensure consumer access to safe, high quality herbal and natural products.”

“Vitamins, minerals, supplements, and other natural products have become a mainstream part of self-care, and consumers are turning to these products more than ever to address nutritional gaps and promote their health and wellness,” said CHPA President & CEO Scott Melville. As more Americans incorporate natural products into their overall self-care plans, CHPA thanks Senators Lee and Sinema for recognizing the ever-increasing role this industry is playing in people’s lives and looks forward to continuing to work with Congress toward comprehensive reforms that ensure continued success and innovation on behalf of U.S consumers.”

CRN President & CEO Steve Mister commented, “We would like to thank Senators Mike Lee and Kyrsten Sinema for highlighting CRN’s Health Care Cost Savings Study data and for supporting our manufacturer and ingredient supplier members in their mission to promote and support healthy lifestyles for consumers.”

Commenting on the resolution, UNPA President Loren Israelsen said, “It is entirely fitting that Congress recognize the anniversary of enactment of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, which has done so much in the past 28 years to help consumers have access to the safe dietary supplements they want. UNPA was proud to have played a role in passing DSHEA and thankful that two supplement advocates, Senators Lee and Sinema, are working to commemorate that achievement for consumers."

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing more than 200 dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and companies providing services to those manufacturers and suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements and food in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as to CRN’s Code of Ethics. For more information, visit www.crnusa.org. Follow us on Twitter @CRN_Supplements and LinkedIn.