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PUSHING BACK ON DRUG PRECLUSION
CRN urged FDA to revisit its interpretation and issue clear guidance—or, if the agency will not act, for Congress to restore balance so that consumers retain access to beneficial supplements while legitimate drug innovation proceeds. As noted in CRN's press release following FDA's decision to deny CRN’s citizen petition urging the agency to correct its flawed interpretation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act's drug preclusion provision, FDA missed a pivotal opportunity to bring clarity and balance to the line between pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements and consumer access to affordable and accessible healthcare products will be stymied as a result.
ALERTING MEMBERS TO FDA ADD OF SYNTHETIC COLORS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES TO CHEMICAL REVIEW LIST
CRN alerted members in August to FDA's announcement of the expansion of its list of food chemicals under post-market review, with all FD&C synthetic colors at step four of five in the review process. Alongside the synthetic colors, FDA also added butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), azodicarbonamide (ADA), and opiate alkaloids of poppy seeds in this latest update.
CALLING FOR SCIENCE-BASED, RISK-INFORMED POST-MARKET FOOD CHEMICAL REVIEW
CRN submitted comments to FDA in support of a science-based and risk-informed systematic process for the post-market prioritization and review of chemicals in food. In its letter, CRN recommended that FDA base prioritization scores on objective public health criteria, grounded in scientific data rather than on qualitative factors such as external activity or public attention.
See other comments CRN submitted here.
EDUCATING INDUSTRY AND STAKEHOLDERS
CRN member sales executives gained timely insights at the CRN Retailer Relations Forum Breakfast Briefing during the National Association of Chain Drug Total Store Expo, where representatives of Sam’s Club, Kinney Drug, and Circana outlined trends shaping the supplement marketplace and practical strategies for success.
CRN held a webinar on recycling requirements from California’s SB 343 (available on demand), with presenters noting how to determine recyclability, steps toward the October 2026 compliance date, expanded recordkeeping, CalRecycle’s role, and Extended Producer Requirement (EPR) intersections.
Speaking on an Orrin G. Hatch Foundation webinar, “The Future of DSHEA: Ensuring Balance, Research, and Market Access in Healthcare,” CRN President & CEO Steve Mister discussed how DSHEA can be modernized while preserving its core principles as described in his early 2025 Whole Foods Magazine article.
ADVANCING ALIGNMENT ON GLOBAL SUPPLEMENT POLICY
CRN convened a government–industry dialogue with USDA alongside partners from the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA) to advance alignment on global supplement policy.
GROWING OUR MEMBERSHIP
CRN welcomed new members in Q3: Voting members Biohm Technologies, Needed, ReCellience15, RIBUS, Inc., and associate member Food SMART Strategies Inc.