July 14, 2026
Washington, D.C. — The Natural Products Association (NPA), the nation’s leading trade association representing the natural products industry, issued a blistering statement in response to a paper from the American College of Physicians (ACP) that proposes to dismantle the U.S. regulatory framework governing dietary supplement products under the guise of protecting public health.
ACP’s proposed reforms including premarket approval would impede access to safe, natural products, kill dietary ingredient innovation, increase consumer costs, and most absurdly, regulate “dietary supplements”— a distinct FDA-regulated category of foods created by Congress in 1994 — as pharmaceuticals.
“The dietary supplement industry is more than adequately regulated, and it has a long-established track record of safety,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., president and CEO of NPA, who oversaw FDA’s Division of Dietary Supplement Programs during the Obama administration. “Congress has delegated authority to FDA to routinely inspect manufacturing facilities, assess the safety of new dietary ingredients, and review serious adverse event reports, which could trigger FDA actions to protect the public, including mandatory recalls, seizures of products, injunctions and criminal prosecutions. ACP’s proposals would eviscerate the regulatory distinctions between pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements, undermining congressional intent in DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994) and depriving American consumers of unfettered access to safe, beneficial nutritional products.”
FDA and the current administration have not only explicitly recognized the value of dietary supplement products as part of a multi-pronged strategy to promote health and wellness, but the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has emphasized the need for U.S. medical establishments to educate their students on the crucial role of prevention and nutrition.
In June, HHS and U.S. Department of Education hosted eight of the nation’s leading accreditors, assessors, and medical organizations to announce a historic development to increase nutrition requirements at every level of U.S. medical education, competency-evaluation, training, and residency. In addition, 19 medical schools across the U.S. signed the administration’s Nutrition Education Pledge, vowing to incorporate 40 hours of nutritional education or its competency equivalent into graduation requirements starting this fall.
“It’s ironic that the American College of Physicians wants to treat dietary supplements as FDA-approved drugs during an administration that has recognized the urgent need for formal medical education about the value of nutrition and prevention,” Dr. Fabricant said. “Consumers who use supplements and engage in self-care achieve better health outcomes. Unfortunately, ACP is tone-deaf to the growing role of dietary supplements as part of a healthy lifestyle focused on nutrition and prevention of disease. NPA will continue to fiercely oppose any proposals to dismantle the strong regulatory framework under DSHEA.”
