Health E-Insights: How do you see the supplement industry changing?

 

Mr. Mister: There is a shift in terms of the focus that manufacturers are putting on their raw ingredients. Manufacturers are taking a harder look up the supply chain, particularly in the herbal category, and are now more than ever working to ensure they have screened for contaminants, as well as assessed and tested the purity, quality and identity of the ingredient. Further, as of June of 2010, the entire industry is now subject to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and more facility inspections are being conducted by FDA officials, helping to ensure that the highest quality supplement products are reaching the market.

 

Health E-Insights: What do you think is the future of dietary supplements?

 

Mr. Mister: From a regulatory perspective, the industry is evolving, and GMPs are accelerating that evolution. As science continues to advance and support the development of additional products manufactured by the industry, consumers are taking notice—and that provides great potential for growth. However, these are products that consumers are using to keep themselves healthy—they will not be tolerant about poor manufacturing and empty promises, and they will leave the marketplace if their expectations are not met. The supplement industry is going to continue to make its priority manufacturing well-made products that deliver what the industry promises.

 

Health E-Insights: How has CRN kept pace?

 

Mr. Mister: CRN has reinforced its leadership role with a variety of programs aimed at educating those within the supplement industry, as well as our consumers. Take, for example, CRN’s vendor qualification program through its Standardized Information on Dietary Ingredients (SIDI) protocol, and its guidelines for supplement firms for qualifying their suppliers. You will see more programs from CRN to help companies secure their supply chains and improve their GMP compliance. CRN also has various ongoing government relations programs aimed at updating Congress on the industry’s self-policing programs. We work closely with Congressional organizations, such as the Dietary Supplement Caucus, to educate members of Congress and staff members on the benefits, safety and science surrounding dietary supplements. With so many new faces arriving in Congress in January, we are expanding our outreach to educate new Members and their staff. CRN is also committed to challenging misleading advertising through a program managed by its educational non-profit affiliate, the CRN Foundation, in conjunction with the National Advertising Division (NAD). The program increases focus on monitoring dietary supplement advertising claims and acts as a forum for companies to level the playing field by challenging each other. Funding through the CRN Foundation has allowed the NAD to hire on an attorney solely focused on cases involving the dietary supplement industry. When it comes to reaching consumers, CRN’s consumer wellness initiative, “Life…supplemented,” reinforces the premise of responsible use of dietary supplements—as part of a proactive approach to wellness that includes a healthy diet and regular exercise. The program provides online tools for consumers to simplify and personalize the use of supplements, and has also conducted research on healthcare professionals’ use and recommendations of supplements.

 

Health E-Insights: What are your thoughts now about President Obama’s health care bill?

 

Mr. Mister: Our positions on healthcare reform-related issues are always targeted to dietary supplements. The new healthcare law funds and establishes pilot programs for 10 state community health center demonstration projects, designed to create individualized wellness plans for people at-risk of preventable diseases. The centers are aimed at testing whether wellness plans can reduce risk factors over time for preventable diseases, and would include supplements with FDA-approved health claims, such as calcium and folic acid. These pilot projects could demonstrate the value of supplements for maintaining health. CRN is putting its energy into making sure the community centers will get the funding they need to operate. 

 

Health E-Insights: Which is most important to your organization—mission, core values or vision?

 

Mr. Mister: All three are critical to CRN. We don’t believe you can parse mission, core values and vision from one another because we consider them to be part of a three-legged stool; without one of them, they would all fall. CRN’s mission is to enhance and sustain a climate for our member companies to responsibly market dietary supplements and nutritional ingredients. Our values are what guide the organization in continuing on its path, including a strong focus on science, ethical responsibility, a willingness to adapt and change, and a responsibility first and foremost to the consumer. CRN’s vision for the future of the industry has well-made dietary supplements firmly as a centerpiece in mainstream well-care in this country. That’s what we are driving towards. And every few years we assess the status of our goals and the strategies we are pursuing to ensure we are still focused on the values we’ve always held.

 

Health E-Insights: Do you have an approach to healthy eating? In other words, are you responsible to yourself for what you eat?

 

Mr. Mister: Absolutely. That doesn’t mean that I eat perfectly though. But foods that might be considered junk food are considered treats and are not staples in my diet. There are important pillars to health; certainly good diet is one of them, as well as regular exercise, and using supplements to fill in the nutrition gaps where my diet might be falling short. I don’t use supplements as a substitute for food, but I certainly use them to fill in where my diet is less than perfect.

 

Health E-Insights: Can you remember the last time you ate junk food such as fast food, chips, etc.?

 

Mr. Mister: Yesterday. And if we had conducted this interview later in the day, I could have said today. I have a serious sweet tooth.

For more information and interview consideration, contact Sheldon Baker at sbaker@bakerdillon.com or visit his website at www.bakerdillon.com.