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  AHPA honors Loren Israelsen with Michael McGuffin Extraordinary Service Award

  July 21, 2026   Loren Israelsen (center) accepts the 2026 Michael McGuffin Extraordinary Service Award from AHPA President & CEO Graham Rigby and AHPA VP of Membership & Engagement Amber Bennett. The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is pleased to announce Loren Israelsen, Founder & President of the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA), as the recipient of the 2026 Michael McGuffin Extraordinary Service Award. The special presentation of the award follows the historic announcement of Loren's upcoming retirement and the sunsetting of UNPA at the end of the year.  The Michael McGuffin Extraordinary Service Award was established in 2025 in honor of late, longtime AHPA President Michael McGuffin. The honor is intended to recognize individuals or organizations that embody Michael's spirit of “extraordinary service” to the herbal and natural products community. The inaugural award went to Edward Fletcher in recognition of his tireless generosity and heroic disaster relief efforts in support of the herbal community following the devastation of Hurricane Helene in 2024. “Extraordinary service” can be difficult to define but is unmistakable when seen, such as with Loren's legendary career. He was a founding board member of AHPA in 1982 and, as a primary architect of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, Loren's early legislative strategy and tenacity established the vital legal framework that safeguards consumer access to herbal products and dietary supplements today. Over several decades, his vision has permanently shaped the modern dietary supplement landscape. Throughout his career, Loren maintained a trusted connection to AHPA, characterized by a collaborative relationship with Michael McGuffin. Together, they championed alignment across trade organizations and united the industry behind robust quality standards. Loren continued that tradition in collaborating with AHPA and Michael's successor, President & CEO Graham Rigby, on tariffs, the placement of DSHEA disclaimers on dietary supplement labels, and other issues facing our industry. With the recent news of his retirement and the conclusion of an era for UNPA, AHPA and its Board of Trustees moved to honor Loren's lifetime of commitment, ensuring his legacy of collaboration and health freedom is celebrated in Michael's memory. “Receiving an award that bears Michael McGuffin's name is deeply meaningful,” said Israelsen. “Michael was not only a respected colleague but a trusted friend whose integrity, deep knowledge and unwavering commitment to this industry inspired those who had the privilege of working alongside him. Throughout our careers, we shared the belief that meaningful progress comes through thoughtful leadership and a commitment to serving something greater than ourselves. I am honored to receive this recognition and grateful to AHPA for celebrating the values that Michael embodied throughout his remarkable life.” “Michael believed that true service to this industry and to public health required looking beyond individual interests to protect the bigger picture, and Loren has spent his entire career exemplifying that ideal,” said Rigby. “Recognizing Loren with Michael's namesake award is not just an acknowledgment of his monumental career, but a celebration of an enduring dedication that elevated quality standards and shaped health freedom for us all.” This honor stands as a lasting tribute to Michael's legacy and a celebration of Loren's profound impact on the natural products community. AHPA is deeply privileged to present the 2026 Michael McGuffin Extraordinary Service Award to Loren Israelsen, celebrating a lifetime of leadership and an enduring commitment to the industry.

  • Tuesday, July 21, 2026
  • | Posted by AHPA
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  AHPA seeks greater transparency and political neutrality in comments to OMB proposed rule on federal grant policies

  July 20, 2026 In comments to a major U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed rule, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has sought revisions that would protect the transparency and political neutrality of, among other things, federally funded scientific research, disaster recovery, and agricultural support. Federal grantmaking authority is generally rooted in individual authorizations by Congress, which, through individual laws, assigns grantmaking authority to individual federal agencies. These legal authorities are generally accompanied by agency- and subject-specific rules. While OMB currently maintains guidance that structures the grantmaking activities of individual agencies, the proposed rule would assert direct, central OMB control for the first time. This proposed rule has the stated goal of improving transparency, accountability, and oversight in U.S. grant-funded activities, and it would come with a wide array of specific changes to the design, oversight, application, and revision of grant programs. AHPA narrowly focused its comments on elements of the proposed rule that would unduly increase costs of grant-funded activities as well as potentially result in the appearance of or actual politicization of these critical activities. In particular, AHPA opposed several elements of the proposed rule that would shift all decision-making regarding grants to politically appointed leaders and their designees, while also providing them unbounded or undefined discretionary authority over funding activities. For example, as proposed, an appointed figure at a research agency could not defer to a scientific review board in determining the recipient of competitive research funding, and this figure could decide to fund research based on its alignment with a given administration's preferences. Research funded under the proposed rule could also be unilaterally terminated at the discretion of politically appointed figures if the publication of its results might conflict with the priorities of the then-current administration. “AHPA generally supports the goals of this action to increase accountability and reduce inconsistencies in federal grant programs,” said AHPA President & CEO Graham Rigby. “If adopted, our recommended changes will ensure that the goals of this rulemaking are met, while also respecting the wishes of Congress in directing appropriations.” The proposed rule also includes a number of provisions that would ban the distribution of federal funds for activities opposed by administration leadership. AHPA did not comment on these elements of the proposed rule.

  • Monday, July 20, 2026
  • | Posted by AHPA
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  AHPA submits comments to Trade Representative on US-China Board of Trade

  July 13, 2026   In comments submitted Friday to the United States Trade Representative, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) emphasized the economic benefits of unhindered trade in herbs and other dietary supplement inputs. AHPA's comments came on the occasion of a request for information (RFI) regarding thawing trade relations between the United States and China. The RFI sought input on the operation of a planned US-China Board of Trade which would meet regularly to "manage the realities" of trade relations between the two nations, including facilitating greater flows of non-sensitive goods. The RFI also seeks documentation of commodities that should be traded under most-favored-nation status or otherwise exempt from ongoing global tariff regimes.   In its comments in the USTR, AHPA identifies sets of commodities currently exempt from general tariffs on Chinese imports, as well as commodities which are currently subject to a 10% tariff under existing general authorities asserted by the administration. AHPA's comments further document the domestic economic benefits of unimpeded access to botanical ingredients and processed botanical extracts, as well as other "unavailable natural resources" incapable of domestic scaled production.    "These comments continue our longstanding tariff engagement on behalf of dietary supplement manufacturers and consumers", said AHPA Vice President of Regulatory & Government Affairs Robert Marriott. "We're heartened by the construction of a channel of continuous trade negotiation, and look forward to the potential relief it can provide."

  • Monday, July 13, 2026
  • | Posted by AHPA
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  AHPA secures legislative victory protecting herbal tinctures in New Hampshire

  July 6, 2026 The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) celebrates a definitive legislative victory for the natural products industry and consumer choice, as New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte signed into law last week a permanent exemption protecting alcohol-based herbal tinctures and liquid extracts from state liquor regulations. The newly enacted legislation (SB 524) creates a distinct section within New Hampshire state law that explicitly excludes alcohol-based herbal tinctures and liquid extracts marketed as dietary supplements from the jurisdiction of the New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC). The law ensures these herbal products can continue to be sold across standard retail outlets throughout the state. The new regulatory framework will officially go into effect in January 2027. The legislative solution caps off a successful grassroots advocacy campaign spearheaded by AHPA. When the NHLC first identified the gap in New Hampshire law and required the immediate removal of these products from store shelves in late 2025, AHPA took decisive action. The association mobilized a powerful coalition of industry stakeholders, members, and herbal advocates to aggressively counter the regulatory overreach. "This is a monumental win that codifies and permanently protects consumer access to traditional herbal liquid extracts," said AHPA President & CEO Graham Rigby. "When our industry faced an immediate threat to retail access in New Hampshire, AHPA did what it does best: we engaged, rallied the herbal community, and brought a proactive solution to the table. By working directly with state legislators and regulators, we successfully established a clear legal distinction between alcohol-based herbal tinctures and liquid extracts marketed as dietary supplements and NHLC-regulated liquor." AHPA's targeted advocacy strategy leveraged the association's regulatory experience and subject matter expertise to educate state regulators and legislative leadership. In a critical turning point late last year, the collective, grassroots efforts by AHPA's working group successfully captured the attention of the NHLC and secured essential access to New Hampshire State Senator Tara Reardon. Armed with established legal precedents — such as Pennsylvania's regulatory framework exempting non-beverage alcoholic preparations — AHPA worked collaboratively with the NHLC to review and testify in support of the amendment language and revised NH law that ultimately passed both houses of the New Hampshire General Court. Beyond dietary supplements, the newly enacted language also exempts other non-beverage products containing alcohol, including homeopathic medicine, over-the-counter (OTC) allopathic drugs, and cosmetics (“toilet … preparations”), further solidifying a common-sense approach to state product regulation. "This victory would not have been possible without the dedicated members of our herbal tinctures and liquid extracts working group," added Rigby. "Their patience, passion, and action fueled the crucial momentum needed to push this across the finish line. AHPA remains fiercely committed to defending botanical stewardship, protecting consumer access, and ensuring our members' products have a secure, permanent place on standard retail shelves."

  • Monday, July 6, 2026
  • | Posted by AHPA