As part of the effort to capitalize on the opportunities the incoming Congress presents for the natural products industry and the millions of American consumers using its products, The Natural Products Association (NPA) announced that it will host the 20th Annual Natural Products Day on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 in Washington, D.C.

“A new Congress means new opportunities. This is an excellent one for our members to speak about the valuable contribution our industry makes to the health and well-being of millions of Americans and the U.S. economy,” said Dan Fabricant, Ph.D., executive director and CEO of NPA. “It is critical for us to be proactive immediately in the new year rather than reactive.”

Recent example, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill’s attempts to influence the the government’s top food and drug safety officials on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) draft guidance is the most recent example of how important it is for our members to remain vigilante and active. “Our first concern is always consumer safety, and we cannot afford to sit idly by and allow policymakers to purse misguided policies that undermine it,” added Fabricant. “The way it stands now, the guidance could actually result in more bad actors skirting the law entirely, harm small businesses, and create chilling effect on innovation. This is the opposite of what a sensible regulatory regime should be.”

According to the NPA, Natural Products Day is the industry’s premier advocacy event in which association members and industry stakeholders are connected with their senators and representatives to discuss the importance of issues affecting natural products and the consumers who rely on them each day. This event is free for attendees, and NPA arranges all the meetings with key legislators ahead of time, while providing direction on how to make an impact on Capitol Hill.

The Natural Products Association Political Action Committee (NPA PAC) will also host an evening reception for attendees the night before the conference to help support NPA’s advocacy efforts and grow the industry’s influence with key legislators. NPA PAC gives members a unified voice to effectively take part in congressional affairs, and support candidates and the industry’s Capitol Hill allies. Joining NPA PAC is the best possible way to show how powerful and politically aware the industry can be.

For more information, visit www.NPAinfo.org.