The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), Quality Assurance International (QAI) by NSF International and the Organic Trade Association (OTA) announced updated guidance on organic dietary supplements.
The updated report titled Guidance on Formulation and Marketing of Dietary Supplements Under the National Organic Program replaces the 2018 version.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) implements and enforces USDA organic regulations. In order to ensure organic integrity against increasing complexity of organic supply chains, the NOP released the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) final rule on Jan. 19, 2023.
According to the associations, SOE impacts the entire organic supply chain including some previously exempt operations and already certified organic operations. The updated guidance incorporates these new requirements, which started being enforced on Mar. 19, 2024.
“AHPA is pleased to again partner with QAI and OTA in maintaining this guidance document as a resource for the organic dietary supplement industry,” said Jane Wilson, director of program development at AHPA. “Their leadership and expertise in organic production, and the SEO changes in particular, are key to making sure the organic supplement industry is prepared to meet the new SOE requirements.”
The updated guidance also includes information about the types of supplements eligible for organic certification under the NOP and the various NOP labeling categories. There is also an overview of the regulatory obligations for farmers, packaged products, finished product marketers and both organic and non-organic ingredients.
“With the enforcement date of the SOE rule quickly approaching, this document is a must-read for members across the organic dietary supplement supply chain,” said Sonia Acuña-Rubio, director of food product certification at QAI. “As one of the largest organic certification bodies in the U.S., QAI is committed to supporting the dietary supplement industry with meeting organic regulations.”
The updated guidance is available on AHPA’s website, OTA’s website and NSF’s website.
