A topline report from the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN),
the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry
Are your customers Label Wise? Video, fact sheet and more available to retailers for consumer education on Supplement Facts labels
Retailers now have an easy-to-use suite of resources to help ensure their customers are “Label Wise” when it comes to new FDA-mandated changes to dietary supplement labels, available on CRN’s microsite: www.BeLabelWise.org. Because of changes in the American diet and updates in nutrition science, FDA will require changes to the Supplement Facts label appearing on most dietary supplement products by January 1, 2020. (Small companies will have one additional year to comply.) A short video explains the most important changes and a fact sheet, infographic, interactive “how to read a supplement label” guide and other resources provide additional details. CRN encourages retailers to use these materials in their communications with their staff pharmacists, their retail clerks and with consumers to help them understand the changes. CRN can provide native files ready for retailer branding upon request—contact Gretchen Powers for more information.
CRN’s new Retailer Relations Forum connects member company sales executives with retailers More consumers are using supplements
CRN’s new Retailer Relations Forum is connecting senior sales executives from our member companies with retail executives via “engagement experiences” to enhance their business relationships with retailers. “In today’s climate, senior sales executives need to stay up-to-speed on regulatory and sector developments that could impact business,” CRN President and CEO Steve Mister said, noting that the Retailer Relations Forum “is yet another channel for our members to be in-the-know when it comes to retailers’ priorities, initiatives and expectations for the dietary supplement and functional food categories.”
In addition, consumer safety depends on a strong relationship between the dietary supplement and retail industries, and CRN’s Retailer Relations Forum “will reinforce our commitment to collaborating with retailers; generating new and growing existing business; and helping consumers safely and smartly achieve optimal health and wellness through the use of our products,” Mr. Mister said.
The Retailer Relations Forum will organize engagement experiences at least once a year, offering participants the opportunity to meet with retail executives on-site at their facilities. Members of the Forum will get updates on CRN’s initiatives aimed at the retail community and consumers to they can also promote the industry’s efforts at self-regulation and education in their interactions with retail customers.
Read more about CRN’s Retailer Relations Forum
- CRN has created a Retailer Relations Forum
- CRN launches forum to engage sales personnel, retailers
- Q&A: Council for Responsible Nutrition announces Retailer Relations Forum
CRN at forefront of push for FDA to create a legal pathway to market CBD
With an exploding market of CBD products and a vulnerable consumer base already using and demanding them, “FDA does not have the luxury of time,” CRN Assistant General Counsel Megan Olsen posited, delivering oral comments during FDA’s May 31 public hearing. The event sought scientific data and information about products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds including cannabidiol (CBD). Indeed, some major retail chains have joined internet sellers in stocking CBD products to satisfy consumers seeking the benefits they’ve heard so much about. As a leader of responsible industry, CRN is actively engaged with FDA, as well as with industry stakeholders, state and federal legislators, and scientific experts on this issue. Earlier this year, CRN announced it would consider CBD companies for association membership and several such companies are now on board: CV Sciences, Demetrix, Functional Remedies, Harvest One, and OLEO.
CRN President & CEO Steve Mister also delivered oral comments during the May 31 hearing, urging the agency to use its rulemaking authority as quickly as possible. Mr. Mister observed that safety concerns need not impede such rulemaking at this early stage, noting that the agency “has plenty of processes and standards in place to examine the safety of any ingredient…FDA needs to trust its own processes for examining safety in due time.” In addition, Mr. Mister, along with other experts, spoke about CBD at the Annual Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Forum on Dietary Supplementsand Ms. Olsen recently presented at a meeting of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, offering expert insights on CBD’s current regulatory status—including updates on state regulations (a topic of an upcoming CRN members-only webinar) and potential implications for retailers, as well as recent Congressional activity.
Congressional engagement on CBD—a key priority in CRN’s 2019 legislative strategy and topic of discussion at its June 12 Day on the Hill event—is strong. The House Committee on Appropriations report on priorities for FY20 includes a calls for the FDA to find a legal pathway to market for hemp-derived CBD. Additionally, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) met with Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless late last month and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Acting Commissioner Sharpless, with both senators reiterating this call to action.
CRN and its CBD Task Force developed written comments to submit to FDA by the July 16 deadline, emphasizing the need to act promptly to protect consumers and establish a lawful, level playing field for responsible CBD companies to market safe products. CRN continues to call on FDA to companies that market CBD as a dietary supplement to all the requirements other supplements must observe (e.g., facility registration, adverse event reporting systems, compliance with GMPs, etc.).
CRN responds to new study questioning value of supplements and dietary interventions; calls conclusions all-out assault on nutrition science
CRN spoke out against the irresponsible conclusions of a study and accompanying editorial and video released this month from the Annals of Internal Medicine—“Effects of Nutritional Supplements and Dietary Interventions on Cardiovascular Outcomes”—that suggested neither supplementation with certain nutrients, nor dietary interventions, have a significant effect on mortality or cardiovascular disease outcomes. “This study is a coordinated, all-out assault on nutrition, and the critical role it plays in maintaining health and reducing the risk of chronic disease,” CRN President and CEO Steve Mister said in the association’s statement.
“The study maligns not only dietary supplements, but also well-established dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean Diet and the Low-Sodium Diet. The three pieces lack insight from any nutrition-based medical professional or expert with knowledge or appreciation of nutrition research.” CRN’s reaction to the study provided balance to coverage from NBC News as well as HealthDay News and in several industry trade press stories.
Read more on CRN's response:
- Supplements/Diet Ineffective for Cardiovascular Health? CRN Calls New Study 'Wrongheaded'
- Critics say interpersonal variation not given enough weight in new study
- New study maligns dietary supplements as ineffective for cardiovascular outcomes
CRN’s response to another widely-read report—“The Real Deal on Brain Health Supplements: GCBH Recommendations on Vitamins, Minerals, and Other Dietary Supplements” from AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health—emphasized the difference between legitimate, mainstream dietary supplement products and those pushed by outliers. CRN concurred with some aspects of the AARP report, such as its general advice for consumers to speak with their healthcare practitioners about their supplement use and to look for third-party certifications and indications of quality, but cited the study’s limitations and lack of transparency and context for its conclusions as problematic.
“CRN and our members are committed to ensuring that consumers of all ages have access to safe, appropriately labeled and high-quality products and do not fall prey to illegal activity,” CRN’s Interim Senior Vice President, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs Andrew Shao, Ph.D., said. “We condemn allegations of marketers of products bearing egregious, outlandish claims that mislead older Americans. We know that dietary supplements play an important role for aging Americans looking to maintain overall health and wellness. Therefore, we strive to protect their access and strongly advocate for regulatory enforcement against unlawful products claiming to cure or prevent any disease, including Alzheimer’s and dementia. Because of our efforts, products like these are not mainstream.”
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