Council for Responsible Nutrition Applauds UNPA Endorsing Supplement OWL

Press Release

The United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) has added its voice to the growing list of supporters of the dietary supplement industry’s latest self-regulatory initiative by formally announcing its endorsement of the Supplement OWL (Online Wellness Library), the online dietary supplement registry. Loren Israelsen, president, UNPA, expressed his enthusiastic support of the Supplement OWL, calling it “a much-needed step forward in accountability to our various stakeholders” in a letter to the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the trade association that provided the initial funding and conceptual project management for the registry.

“We are pleased to receive UNPA’s endorsement of this initiative,” remarked Steve Mister, president & CEO, CRN. “Since its conception, the registry has received tremendous interest, and, since its launch in April, companies now have the opportunity to get a real feel for how the registry will work. UNPA’s endorsement further illustrates an industry-wide desire to come together and improve ourselves from within.”

In his letter, Mr. Israelsen said the Supplement OWL “is an important and necessary first step [toward] creating visibility and transparency for individual products and the companies that manufacture those products.” 
 The registry provides a snapshot of finished products currently in the supplement marketplace, thereby creating a richer, fuller picture of the breadth and scope of the industry for regulators, retailers, and any interested party with access to the internet. The Supplement OWL allows users to search for products by brand name, ingredient, and a host of other options, and provides information about the supplements, including a full product label and manufacturer contact information. There is no cost to participate in Tier 1 of the registry.

“I sincerely hope that our member companies will give it the strongest consideration and that our members will participate,” Mr. Israelsen wrote of the Supplement OWL. “I will continue to watch its progress and encourage companies to continue to become engaged.”

Mr. Mister commented, “CRN is confident the Supplement OWL will soon serve as the go-to resource for regulators and retailers looking to examine and evaluate labels of products on the market. We look forward to UNPA’s members uploading their labels to the registry to demonstrate their commitment to industry transparency and accountability.”

In addition to UNPA’s endorsement, the Supplement OWL has received public support from the Natural Products Association (NPA), the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), the American Botanical Council (ABC), and Tom Aarts, founder and co-chair of the NBJ Summit.

 To learn more about the Supplement OWL and how to get started uploading product labels, visit www.SupplementOWL.org.