Washington, D.C., July 1, 2016—The Council for Responsible Nutrition, the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, thanks legislators in Massachusetts for recognizing how Massachusetts House Bill (HB) 3471 would have negatively impacted consumers and the local economy and resisting attempts to limit access to certain dietary supplements. The bill, which would have prohibited the sale of certain dietary supplements to minors and required these products be placed behind retailer and pharmacy counters, was sent to a study by the Joint Committee on Public Health (JCPH) on Thursday, effectively ending any prospect for passage in this legislative session.
“We applaud the legislature for setting HB 3471 aside because the arguments being advanced in favor of the bill were not based on data and did not make sense,” said Mike Greene, vice president, government relations, CRN. “This bill would have needlessly restricted safe, legal and regulated products that may help with weight management or fitness goals. Additionally, it would have created loss of revenue to state businesses and had negative fiscal implications for retail establishments and pharmacies. The implications of HB 3471 were overly broad and burdensome, which is why CRN acted quickly to prevent it from coming to fruition.”
Since last summer, CRN has actively opposed HB 3471, testifying before the JCPH and organizing a coalition of opposition with partnering organizations that would have been impacted. Additionally, CRN appreciated the opportunity to meet with JCPH committee offices and staff to explain our concerns about the bill.
“Our goal was to ensure that Massachusetts consumers have the access to dietary supplements that they want. We will continue to keep a close eye on potential legislation in Massachusetts, but for now, consumers can continue to access these products, evaluate them at the shelf and select appropriate dietary supplements to use in their health regimen,” said Mr. Greene.
Note to Editor: The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing 150+ dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and companies providing services to those manufacturers and suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements and food in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as to CRN’s Code of Ethics. Visit www.crnusa.org. Follow us on Twitter @crn_supplements and @wannabewell and on Facebook.