FDA, industry trade groups to consider DSHEA at 30 at SupplySide West

An education and networking event at SupplySide West featuring representatives from FDA and six trade groups will explore 30 years of DSHEA and how to move the industry forward.

Josh Long, Associate editorial director, SupplySide Supplement Journal

September 23, 2024

2 Min Read

At SupplySide West in Las Vegas in October, the industry will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).

During an education and networking session on Oct. 29 from 1 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., we’ll hear from representatives of six trade groups on the successes and failures of the law. More importantly, they’ll tackle the subject, “After 30 years of DSHEA, the question is: What now?”

We can’t have a meaningful dialogue about DSHEA without hearing from the government body principally responsible for regulating dietary supplements.

Fortunately, the director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Dietary Supplement Programs — Cara Welch, Ph.D. — will be joining the panel. Dr. Welch has recently attended several public events discussing the need for regulatory modernization, and I expect more of the same at SupplySide West.

In this education session, the various trade groups will discuss their missions and members as well as their views on DSHEA and how to move the industry forward. Dr. Welch also will present on FDA’s work, priorities and perspectives on the law.

The panel’s moderator, Jon Benninger, vice president and market leader at Informa Markets, will then engage in a Q&A with Welch and representatives from the six industry groups: the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), Natural Products Association (NPA), Organic & Natural Health Association (ONHA) and United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA).

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DSHEA “has been the law of the land for 30 years, defining what dietary supplements are and how they should be made, and laying the foundation for the modern supplement market,” Benninger told me. “In this session, I want to explore the path forward from here to ensure that people have access to high-quality, safe, science-backed supplements that can help them live healthier lives.”

I expect a lively discourse moderated by Benninger, and yes, a respectful but vigorous debate about regulatory modernization.

“The history of DSHEA is really 1,000 years old, and those who understand what that means will be the ones who will defend and build on this remarkable legislation,” UNPA President Loren Israelsen said. “New battles are coming, and it’s not with the FDA. Come and be a part of the new conversation about the present and future of DSHEA. To all the young and rising stars among us, it is your turn now. It will be tech against tech, the people against the machine. Think I’m exaggerating? Join us and find out.”

Related:FDA telegraphs enforcement strategy against NMN supplements amid NPA lawsuit

During this session, we’ll also watch a documentary on DSHEA produced by AHPA — and a special guest is expected to join us in person.

The last hour of the event will be devoted to a happy hour and networking session. Finally, we’ll also be celebrating DSHEA on Oct. 30 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the SupplySide Networking Hub, where we’ll meet an all-star cast of industry stalwarts, passionate advocates and inspiring new voices.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

About the Author

Josh Long

Associate editorial director, SupplySide Supplement Journal , Informa Markets Health and Nutrition

Josh Long directs the online news, feature and op-ed coverage at SupplySide Supplement Journal (formerly known as Natural Products Insider), which targets the health and wellness industry. He has been reporting on developments in the dietary supplement industry for over a decade, with a focus on regulatory issues, including at the Food and Drug Administration.

He has moderated and/or presented at industry trade shows, including SupplySide East, SupplySide West, Natural Products Expo West, NBJ Summit and the annual Dietary Supplement Regulatory Summit.

Connect with Josh on LinkedIn and ping him with story ideas at [email protected]

Education and previous experience

Josh majored in journalism and graduated from Arizona State University the same year "Jake the Snake" Plummer led the Sun Devils to the Rose Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes. He also holds a J.D. from the University of Wyoming College of Law, was admitted in 2008 to practice law in the state of Colorado and spent a year clerking for a state district court judge.

Over more than a quarter century, he’s written on various topics for newspapers and business-to-business publications – from the Yavapai in Arizona and a controversial plan for a nuclear-waste incinerator in Idaho to nuanced issues, including FDA enforcement of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).

Since the late 1990s, his articles have been published in a variety of media, including but not limited to, the Cape Cod Times (in Massachusetts), Sedona Red Rock News (in Arizona), Denver Post (in Colorado), Casper Star-Tribune (in Wyoming), now-defunct Jackson Hole Guide (in Wyoming), Colorado Lawyer (published by the Colorado Bar Association) and Nutrition Business Journal.

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