American Herbal Products Association

Guest article

Regulations, reorganization, and the road ahead for dietary supplements and natural products

12-Dec-2023 By Michael McGuffin, President, American Herbal Products Association (AHPA)

As 2023 comes to a close, so too does another year of progress and innovation in the dietary supplement and natural product industries that the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) proudly serves. The growth of newer product categories – such as...

AHPA’s McGuffin: We oppose the reorganization of FDA’s food and supplements program

17-Jul-2023 By Stephen Daniells

The Board of the American Herbal Products Association will oppose FDA proposals to reorganize its dietary supplements program into a new Office of Food Chemical Safety, Dietary Supplements, and Innovation.

AHPA: ‘Amazon reportedly enforces erroneous FDA adulteration allegation’

24-Apr-2023 By Asia Sherman

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has called out Amazon for allegedly prohibiting the sale of products containing Pinellia ternata based on an inaccurate adulteration allegation issued by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

AHPA requests removal of US tariffs on Chinese herbs

27-Jan-2023 By Asia Sherman

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is asking that the US remove retaliatory tariffs on imported Chinese products used in the herbal and dietary supplements industries.

Guest Article: AHPA reflects on 40-year history of defending herb safety as part of continued commitment to move industry forward

13-Dec-2022 By Michael McGuffin, President, AHPA

For the last 40 years, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has defended the safety of herbs and herbal ingredients and worked to ensure that herbal products remain accessible to our families, friends, and neighbors. As the industry has grown—through...

News in brief

American Herbal Products Association accepting nominations for 2023 Awards

23-Nov-2022

The association’s annual awards, first presented in 2006, acknowledge individuals and organizations for making positive and substantive contributions to the herbal products industry.

AHPA’s McGuffin on supply chain, MPL, climate change, and more

22-Nov-2022 By Stephen Daniells

Supply chain issues appear to be easing for the herbal supplements sector, says Michael McGuffin, president of the American Herbal Products Association, but the key lesson from the past couple of years is that supply chain management is not simple.

AHPA announces formation of Psychedelic Plants and Fungi Committee

23-Mar-2022 By Stephen Daniells

The American Herbal Products Association’s Board of Trustees has chartered the AHPA Psychedelic Plants and Fungi Committee.

AHPA’s McGuffin on 40 years of industry impact and influence

17-Jan-2022 By Stephen Daniells

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the American Herbal Products Association. We sat down with AHPA President, Michael McGuffin, to look back on the association’s impact and influence over 40 years and look ahead to the industry’s future.

AHPA member survey shows more opposition than support for mandatory product listing

07-Oct-2021 By Stephen Daniells

A recent survey by the American Herbal Products Association showed that over 50% of its members oppose a mandatory product listing for dietary supplements, with only 18% supporting the listing.

AHPA's McGuffin on DSHEA 2.0, CBD's path forward, and more

20-Apr-2021 By Stephen Daniells

While AHPA supports H.R.841, the association wishes FDA “would do its job and establish a legal pathway [for hemp and CBD], but they haven’t,” said Michael McGuffin. “Something needs to happen.”

Dr Rob Wildman, SafetyCall International & Indena among AHPA 2021 Award recipients

11-Mar-2021 By Stephen Daniells

The American Herbal Products Association has announced the recipients of its 2021 annual AHPA Awards with Herbalife Nutrition, Naturade, and Tony Hayes also being recognized.

News in brief

AHPA calls for nominations for 2021 awards

06-Jan-2021

The deadline for nominations for the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) 2021 Awards will close on January 15, with the awards to be presented at a virtual meeting on March 9.

Guest Article

Shifting perception by doing the right things

09-Oct-2020 By Michael McGuffin, President, American Herbal Products Association (AHPA)

Occasionally, I get asked this question: why is the American Herbal Products Association involved in the sports nutrition category?

Guest Article

AHPA looks back at the herbal industry in 2017

19-Dec-2017 By Michael McGuffin, president, American Herbal Products Association

The herbal industry continued to evolve in 2017 to meet the steadily increasing demand for high quality botanical ingredients in an array of consumer goods from teas and health supplements to personal care products and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

AHPA's botanical GMPs document ready for field testing

03-Apr-2017 By Hank Schultz

The American Herbal Products Association has issued a version of its ‘botanical GMPs’ document.  Several member companies have stepped forward to field test the recommendations, AHPA president Michael McGuffin said.

AHPA awards Richard, Bass, Israelsen, Shelton and BI

16-Mar-2017

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) presented its 2017 awards to Elwood Richard, Scott Bass, Loren Israelsen, Suzanne Shelton and BI Nutraceuticals for substantive and positive contributions to the herbal products industry.

AHPA's new protein guidance addresses issue that has been percolating for years

03-Apr-2014 By Hank Schultz

The American Herbal Products Association has set a new policy for how member companies ought to calculate the amount of protein in their products to deal with a situation in which the amount of protein has potentially been overreported in some products...

AHPA suggests revisions, clarifications in thick sheaf of comments on FSMA

04-Dec-2013 By Hank Schultz

In a reflection of the broad nature of its membership, the American Herbal Products Association has submitted comments on two proposed Food Safety Modernization Act rules that run to nearly 200 pages. In part, the comments suggest ways to lessen the burden...

AHPA appoints new chief science officer

10-Sep-2013 By Hank Schultz

Maged Sharaf, PhD, has joined the American Herbal Products Association as its new chief science officer.  

AHPA clarifies DMAA/geranium oil stance

12-Aug-2011 By Stephen Daniells

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has not concluded that 1,3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA) is not found in geranium oil, as it clarifies its recent labeling on DMAA.

ConsumerLab hits back at AHPA valerian criticism

26-Nov-2010 By Shane Starling

ConsumerLab, the controversial product testing service and market analyst, has defended the criteria it employed in a recent US market assessment that found seven of nine valerian products failed to deliver on stated bioactive payload.

AHPA president: nothing to fear from AER

03-May-2010 By Shane Starling

Michael McGuffin, the president of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), tells Shane Starling why recently implemented adverse event reporting (AER) is delivering on its promise some three years down the line.

New extract labeling guidance for herbal extract products

02-Apr-2010 By Mike Stones

A new labeling requirement for herbal extract products has been introduced by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) to take effect from September 11 this year.

Trade groups: Supplements don’t help swine flu

08-Dec-2009 By Shane Starling

Four major US supplement trade associations have issued a joint statement reaffirming an earlier condemnation of companies marketing dietary supplements as treatments for swine flu or H1N1.

AHPA survey to track latest herbal harvests

10-Sep-2008 By Lorraine Heller

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is calling for input into its sixth botanical tonnage survey, which tracks annual harvests of North American herbs used as ingredients in dietary supplements.

Bilberry tester will help detect contaminants

12-Dec-2007 By Alex McNally

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has launched
a toolbox designed to help determine whether powdered bilberry
extract is contaminated.

AHPA starts fifth herbal harvest survey

28-Feb-2006 By Stephen Daniells

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has initiated its
fifth survey in order to quantify annual harvests of selected North
American herbs used as ingredients in herbal products.

Traditional use of herbs should be considered in claims, says AHPA

12-Jan-2005

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has asked the FDA
to take into account relevant information on the traditional use of
herbs when substantiating claims for products that contain them.

Ayurceutics says products safe from heavy metals

16-Dec-2004

Ayurceutics has responded to yesterday's article in JAMA claiming
there was a high risk of finding heavy metals in Ayurvedic herbals,
by highlighting its manufacturing process that it believes removes
any danger of contamination.

Estimated gains of GMPs way out, suggests AHPA

11-Sep-2003

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) filed comments with
the FDA yesterday suggesting that it may have hugely overestimated
the economic benefits to the industry of the proposed GMPs.

Herbal tinctures and extracts rejected as alcoholic beverages

24-Oct-2001

On October 15, the Superior Court of California threw out lawsuits
brought against the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA)
citing that herbal tinctures and extracts sold by its member
companies are "alcoholic beverages".