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Dear Friends of AHP,
So reads a UNPA press release of June 30, 2026, and it is with a heavy heart and heartfelt gratitude to Loren personally and the UNPA organization for all they have contributed to the evolution of the dietary supplement industry as we know it.
UNPA was founded in 1992, which was one of the most tumultuous years that led up to the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). The brouhaha that led to this was the passage of the Nutritional Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of 1990. NLEA was meant to provide a mechanism by which information regarding the potential benefits for common foods to prevent or treat disease could be made available to consumers. Prior to this, the Food and Drug Administration formal position was that any reference to anything being used for the prevention or treatment of disease is from a regulatory perspective a drug and, therefore, must be regulated as a drug. When the NLEA regulations were written, they contained numerous provisions that had the potential to greatly negatively impact the herbal and nutritional supplement industry; for example, nutritional supplements would be limited to no more than 150% of the recommended daily allowances and herbs “shall be regulated as drugs.” At the time, it cost $231 million to bring a ‘drug’ to market. These two provisions, more than any others, were potential death blows to the industry.
Loren Israelsen was one of the first to recognize the potentially devastating impact this could have on the industry. That eventually led to a call to arms which subsequently marshalled a greater political outcry than anything else since the Vietnam War. Almost immediately, an initial legislative fix was passed that put a halt to the part of the NLEA regulations that would impact supplements. In 1994, DSHEA was passed primarily due to the championing of Senator Oren Hatch, with whom Loren had interned years prior. The rest as they say is HIS-tory. Since then, Loren has been a powerful and positive voice for the industry that helped create a sense of credibility and balance in what was and often is filled with chaos and opposition. For decades, his gift of communication has created a solid, enduring, and consistent foundation for the industry.
Having been a key voice in virtually all natural products industry events over the past 40+ years, any absence of Loren as he seeks to enjoy post-retirement life in Paris or Salt Lake City will be felt and missed. Bon voyage. Que vos années à venir soient remplies de paix, de santé, de joie et d'amour.
For more information about AHP, or if you are interested in becoming an AHP member, please visit herbal-ahp.org. Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn!
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