Latest News

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  AHPA President & CEO to speak at first East Cost SoCal Dietary Supplement Consortium Event

  April 1, 2026   The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is pleased to announce AHPA President & CEO Graham Rigby will be a featured speaker at the first East Coast SoCal Dietary Supplement Consortium (SCDSC) Event on May 15, 2026. This inaugural East Coast gathering will take place at the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) facility in Rockville, MD, with a virtual attendance option also available. Building on the success of the long-running Southern California consortium, this premier event brings together regulatory, quality, and compliance professionals in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). At the event, Rigby will share an industry update with insights into the current regulatory landscape, highlighting key priorities and policy developments impacting the dietary supplement and herbal product industries. Darlene Almogela, Acting Deputy Office Director of FDA's Office of Human Food Central Inspectorate, will deliver the keynote. Additional presentations from FDA officials and industry experts will cover essential topics such as: State regulatory updates Qualifying and monitoring contract laboratories Supplier qualification processes Gummy manufacturing quality and safety best practices “I am pleased to participate in the first SCDSC East Coast Event and support the cross-country expansion of this valuable forum,” said Rigby. “The consortium facilitates essential dialogue between industry and regulators, and I look forward to engaging with this expert group as we work together to advance the quality and safety standards that underpin consumer trust.” The SCDSC event is scheduled for May 15, following the USP Dietary Supplements Stakeholder Forum on May 14. AHPA encourages members and industry colleagues with interest to register and attend.

  • Wednesday, April 1, 2026
  • | Posted by AHPA
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  Vitality Works match for Michael McGuffin Endowment Fund complete; last call for Founders’ Circle

  March 30, 2026     The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is pleased to announce completion of the Vitality Works matching challenge for the Michael McGuffin Endowment Fund. Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of the AHPA community, the $100,000 matching pledge from Vitality Works has been fully met, significantly advancing the fund toward its $1 million endowment goal. The Michael McGuffin Endowment Fund was established to honor the legacy of herbal champion and longtime AHPA President Michael McGuffin and will provide lasting financial support for critical AHPA initiatives, including advocacy, education, and research benefiting the herbal products industry. The fund is operated and managed by the AHPA ERB Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by McGuffin in 1997 and dedicated to advancing botanical education and research.  “We are deeply grateful to Mitch Coven, Vitality Works, and every donor who stepped up to meet this challenge,” said AHPA President & CEO Graham Rigby. “Support for the endowment fund will help to ensure that Michael's legacy of excellence and stewardship continues to guide the herbal community for generations to come.” With the completion of this matching milestone, AHPA is issuing a final call for the Michael McGuffin Endowment Fund Founders' Circle. Individuals and organizations who donate or pledge $1,000 or more by March 31, 2026, will be inducted into this founding group — a distinction that recognizes those who have made a timely and substantial commitment to preserving Michael's enduring legacy. For more information and to donate today, visit the Michael McGuffin Endowment Fund online.

  • Monday, March 30, 2026
  • | Posted by AHPA
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  AHPA updates CITES primer to reflect new listing for Commiphora wightii

  March 26, 2026 The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has released an updated version of its Primer on Importing and Exporting CITES-Listed Species (“CITES primer”). The update incorporates the new CITES Appendix II listing for Commiphora wightii (synonym: Commiphora mukul; standard common name: guggul), which was officially accepted at the 20th meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties in December 2025 and is now in effect. The listing for Commiphora wightii includes a specific annotation that covers extracts —such as gums, resins, essential oils, and powder — while exempting certain finished products packaged and ready for retail trade, including tablets, capsules, pills, and cosmetics. “AHPA is dedicated to providing our members with the most current regulatory information to support their compliance efforts,” said Jane Wilson, AHPA Director of Program Development. “Maintaining the CITES primer as a living resource is essential for ensuring that the herbal community is best informed of changes in international trade requirements. This update reflects our ongoing commitment to engaging with CITES and representing members internationally.” CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments designed to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species. AHPA's CITES primer is a members-only resource designed to assist with navigating the complex regulations governing the international trade of protected botanical species. It provides guidance on permit applications, species identification, and the various annotations that impact how ingredients and finished products are regulated. AHPA members can download the updated CITES primer on the AHPA website.

  • Thursday, March 26, 2026
  • | Posted by AHPA
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  AHPA publishes good stewardship harvesting brochure for slippery elm

  March 17, 2026 The latest publication in AHPA's series of good stewardship harvesting brochures The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has released a new brochure highlighting good stewardship harvesting practices for slippery elm (Ulmus rubra), a native deciduous tree found primarily in the moist bottomlands, stream banks, and rich forest soils of the central and eastern United States that is widely traded for the medicinal properties of its inner bark. Produced as part of AHPA's ongoing educational efforts supporting the herbal community, the brochure is available for free download from the AHPA website. "Slippery elm furnishes one of North America's most important herbal tree barks, and most of this raw material originates from wild harvesting,” said Eric P. Burkhart, Ph.D., Penn State University. “This new AHPA publication provides excellent stewardship and harvest guidance to ‘bark pullers' throughout the wild range of this species in an effort to encourage sustainability and quality in North American elm bark supply chains.” AHPA Project Scientist Holly Chittum led the brochure's development in collaboration with Nate Brennan (Foster Farm Botanicals), Josef Brinkmann (American Botanical Council, Traditional Medicinals, retired), Eric Burkhart, Ph.D. (The Pennsylvania State University), Jim Chamberlain, Ph.D. (U.S. Forest Service, retired), Don Stock (American Botanicals, retired), and Steven Yeager (Mountain Rose Herbs). AHPA has previously published good stewardship harvesting brochures for wild American ginseng, black cohosh, goldenseal, oshá, saw palmetto, Boswellia, and yerba mansa.

  • Tuesday, March 17, 2026
  • | Posted by AHPA