‘A must-attend event’: DSHEA Summit to chart the past, present and future of U.S. supplements industry

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Registration is open for the DSHEA Summit, a landmark event bringing together the architects of the law and leading industry voices, including current and former FDA officials.

Supported by the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA), the summit will take place at the Hyatt Regency, Salt Lake City on Monday, June 10, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In October 1994, President Bill Clinton signed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) into law. Of course, vitamin pills have been around since the mid-20th century and herbal products even longer, but DSHEA created the modern industry. For the first time, it legally defined what a dietary supplement is (and is not). It clearly stated that dietary supplements were a sub-class of food and that dietary ingredients are not food additives. It created a framework for innovation and the development of New Dietary Ingredients (NDI). Furthermore, it outlined the need for quality standards (cGMPs).

The law opened the gates to 30 years of growth, with industry increasing from 4,000 products and $4 billion in 1994 to 100,000+ products and an estimated value of $60 billion today. DSHEA has stood the test of time, but it isn’t perfect and not without its critics and opponents.

What can you expect at the DSHEA Summit? We will explore the history of DSHEA and the personalities and backroom discussions that forged the industry-defining law. We’ll also dig into how DSHEA has withstood the tests of 30 years of rapid scientific and technological advances, and we’ll take a cold, hard look at current industry compliance and federal enforcement. Finally, we’ll explore what the future of dietary supplement regulation could and should look like.

Be in the room to hear from the people who were actually in the room during the passage and implementation of DSHEA! 

“The varsity team”

Our confirmed speakers are:

- Scott Bass, Partner, Global Life Sciences, Sidley Austin

- Christine Burdick-Bell, EVP & General Counsel, Pharmavite

- Robert Durkin, Partner, Arnall Golden Gregory LLP & former acting Director and Deputy Director, Office of Dietary Supplement Programs (ODSP), FDA

- Jim Emme, CEO, NOW Health Group

- Loren Israelsen, President and Founder, United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA)

- Patricia Knight, Senior Political Advisor, UNPA & former Chief of Staff to Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah

- George Paraskevakos, Executive Director, International Probiotics Association (IPA)

- Peter Reinecke, Senior Political Advisor, UNPA & former Chief of Staff to Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa

- Dr Cara Welch, Director, Office of Dietary Supplements Programs, FDA

Speaking with NutraIngredients-USA recently, UNPA’s Israelsen called the DSHEA Summit "a must attend event."

"This is the varsity team that was involved or has been involved in the enforcement and interpretation of DSHEA," he said. "This will probably never happen again. I just don’t know when and how there would be opportunity for this group to get together and have the kind of conversation that I believe will be one that people will want to be in the room and say, 'I was there.'

“There’s a lot of younger members of the industry who have no concept of what happened, and I feel it’s important that they have a sense of the history of how we all got to where we are with the view that, one day, they will be called upon to be the generation that will take the next DSHEA step, and there will be one."

For more information and register your place now, please click HERE.

IPA World Congress + Probiota Americas 2024

Attendees to the DSHEA Summit will have the option to bundle their registration with the IPA World Congress + Probiota Americas, which starts the afternoon of June 10 and runs through June 12 at the Hyatt Regency, Salt Lake City.

The IPA World Congress + Probiota Americas will provide an unparalleled exploration of pivotal themes shaping the industry's future, from women’s health to prebiotics. We’ll take a deep dive into the state of the market and also hear from healthcare practitioners, explore the latest developments around microbiome modulation for companion animals, and gain insights from retailers on trends and compliance initiatives.

Seize the opportunity to engage with thought leaders, uncover emerging trends and cultivate collaborations that propel the microbiome industry forward. Don't miss this unique platform to deepen your understanding, expand your network and stay at the forefront of North America's microbiome revolution.

Delegates can bundle registrations for both the DSHEA Summit and the IPA World Congress + Probiota Americas. Please click HERE for more information and to register.