[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 14, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E187-E188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN RECOGNITION OF THE AMERICAN HERBAL PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION (AHPA)

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 14, 2012

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the American Herbal 
Products Association (AHPA) as that organization celebrates its 30th 
anniversary.
  Since AHPA's founding in 1982, the organization has been at the 
forefront of promoting the responsible commerce of herbs and herbal 
products and providing leadership in the herbal products community. 
Started by a handful of growers, processors, manufacturers and 
marketers of herbal products, AHPA has now grown into a diverse trade 
association, representing nearly 300 companies in the herbal products 
industry and their affiliated businesses.
  AHPA has distinguished itself in the herbal and dietary supplement 
trades for the quality of its work and advocacy before lawmakers and 
regulators. Legislatively, AHPA was an active participant in the 
passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, 
which is the law that established a separate category for dietary 
supplements under a robust regulatory framework. AHPA also played a 
seminal role in the passage of the Dietary Supplement and 
Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act of 2006, which established 
a Federal serious adverse event reporting mechanism for the dietary 
supplements.
  Since its inception, AHPA has also been tireless in its efforts to 
communicate respectfully and clearly with the Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA), the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Fish & 
Wildlife Service, and other Federal agencies on the unique aspects and 
needs of the herbal trade. In recent years, the supplement industry has 
encountered a number of substantive regulatory issues, including a new 
rule for Good Manufacturing Practice compliance, guidance on New 
Dietary Ingredients, and implementation of various

[[Page E188]]

Food Safety Modernization Act requirements, to name just a few. AHPA 
has been at the forefront with each of these and others, actively and 
effectively interacting with regulatory agencies on proposals that 
impact the regulated community and providing guidance and training to 
regulated businesses.
  AHPA and its members should be commended for their ongoing commitment 
to supporting the responsible commerce of herbs and herbal products in 
the United States. I once again rise to recognize this momentous 
occasion and to wish AHPA a happy 30th Anniversary.

                          ____________________