The Short Report | Printable PDF
A topline report from the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN),
the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry
The Supplement OWL takes flight, receives support from stakeholders
The Supplement OWL (Online Wellness Library), the dietary supplement product registry, has taken flight and is now LIVE and open to the public. CRN urges retailers to test drive and explore the registry, and discover the ways in which it serves as a vital tool to help 
make more informed, confident decisions when determining which products to place on store shelves. Access the Supplement OWL here.
Gaining traction within the industry, the Supplement OWL has received enthusiastic public support from several stakeholders. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), the Natural Products Association (NPA), and the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA), as well as the American Botanical Council (ABC) and Tom Aarts, founder of the NBJ Summit, have all praised the Supplement OWL and are encouraging their members and colleagues to upload their finished product labels into the registry to create a more accurate picture of the dietary supplement marketplace.
CRN speaks to retail dietitians at Shopping for Health Network seminar
CRN’s Judy Blatman and Nancy Weindruch met with supermarket retail chain dietitians, nutritionists, and consumer advisors at the Shopping for Health 2017 Conference, an invitation-only event held April 23–25 in Nashville, Tennessee. Facilitating a session titled “Your Vitamin and Supplements Aisle: What Do Shoppers Need to Know?” 
Ms. Blatman and Ms. Weindruch educated their audience on supplement industry regulation, industry best practices, self-regulatory initiatives such as the Supplement OWL, presented key data from CRN’s 2016 Consumer Survey, and urged the audience to consider CRN an educational partner for information on the supplement industry and its products.
As a follow-up to the event, CRN will be hosting an hour-long, free webinar for the Shopping for Health Network group on June 14. Two CRN scientists will update the audience on the science behind some of the most popular and up-and-coming dietary supplements, as well as give a quick briefing on industry regulation. The webinar is exclusively open to all retailers. To participate, contact Judy Blatman: jblatman@crnusa.org.
Soon supplement inspectors will focus on supplements; CRN cheers
CRN applauded FDA’s announcement last month that it would more closely align its inspection activities with the various products it regulates as part of its Program Alignment initiative, a move CRN called “a positive step in the agency’s efforts to fully enforce the law.” The goal is to have inspectors specialize in a particular commodity and become experts in that area, rather than inspecting all FDA-regulated facilities in their geographic region.
CRN has long encouraged FDA to move to commodity-based inspections and for FDA inspectors to develop expertise in the manufacturing of a particular class of products, such as dietary supplements. Previously, FDA’s inspectors have been enforcing laws as product generalists, which created challenges in understanding and regulating niche areas of the agency’s purview. Program Alignment, according to a statement from CRN, will allow the agency to be efficient and effective in overseeing dietary supplement manufacturing operations, ultimately benefiting consumers and fostering increased collaboration between FDA inspectors and the industry.
Dr. Scott Gottlieb confirmed as new commissioner of FDA
CRN welcomed Scott Gottlieb, M.D., as the new Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA) Commissioner, after he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last month. Having previously served at the Agency from 2003–2007, Dr. Gottlieb is no stranger to FDA and its role regulating the dietary supplement industry. During his confirmation, Dr. Gottlieb affirmed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) is the right framework for regulating the industry and committed to fully enforcing the law.
CRN was pleased to learn that Dr. Gottlieb is among the 71 percent of Americans—more than 170 million—who take dietary supplements, and is confident that his medical background and his understanding of industry will bring the right balance between concerns for consumer safety and product integrity, and protecting consumer access to a wide array of dietary supplement products.
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