Nick Crowning, Business Development Manager, attended the DSHEA Summit in early June and shares this assessment:

It was an honor to join some our industry’s founding members in Salt Lake City to discuss the past, present, and future of DSHEA.  A special thanks to Stephen Daniells and NutraIngredients-USA for putting this gathering together.

The history of DSHEA was refreshing to hear.  It’s easy to forget, or not ever have known, how the category of dietary supplements began.  It was a product of our own desire to protect access to natural health products at a time when they were threatened, spearheaded by a few individuals who were both talented and hardworking enough to create a legal framework that protects these products.

I also enjoyed hearing an honest review of the current state of dietary supplements regulations and oversight.  DSHEA continues to serve us well, but recent history has shown that gaps exist large and lucrative enough for cheaters and fraudulent products to taint the marketplace.  What is more upsetting is these products reflect very poorly on our industry’s reputation.  It would benefit us all to weed these fraudsters out.  If you ask me, more site audits of manufacturing facilities and retailers is part of (but not entirely) the solution.  

As for what comes next, there is still uncertainty and disagreement.  I’m confident there is enough engagement of our major industry players and consumer support to improve regulation of dietary supplements, although it will take a long time.  While the conversation is ongoing, one this is clear to me; you can stand out as a quality brand with the right mixture of science and marketing.  Make your product correctly, and tell the world about all of steps you take to assure quality – from sourcing to manufacturing to testing!