AHPA: Work with existing trade associations, a new one isn’t needed
Jarrow Rogovin, founder and president of Jarrow Formulas, has proposed the creation of the Dietary Supplements Manufacturers and Marketers Association (DSMMA), citing the threat posed by the FDA’s New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) draft guidance, and his perceived failings of the existing ‘big 5’ trade associations.
Mr Rogovin hosted an “extremely well attended – standing room only – meeting” in Baltimore last week during Natural Products Expo East to present his proposal and to appeal for industry support.
AHPA's president Michael McGuffin was present at the meeting, but gave attendees a different perspective: “I do not believe a new trade association is needed," he said.
“Every company in the dietary supplement industry should be a member of one or another (or more) of the existing trade associations, and should work with whichever of these they belong to in order to make sure that the draft NDI guidance is properly addressed.”
Mr McGuffin added that he specifically identified several AHPA members at Mr Rogovin’s meeting who are members of the AHPA working group that is preparing our comments to the draft – these companies are each involved with their trade association – AHPA – to make sure that their businesses are protected.
Despite his belief that another trade association is not needed, McGuffin said he was “not going to discourage any company in the supplement business to do whatever it needs to do to protect its business, and so would not discourage any company from organizing in whatever way it need if its executives disagree with my first point (that the current associations can and already do serve their needs).”
Please click here to read other responses to the proposed DSMMA.
