June 4, 2019
Memorandum aims to promote the advancement of hemp foods and dietary ingredient and product standards
PHOENIX – Hemp Industries Association® (HIA®) signs a memorandum of understanding with the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) to promote the advancement of hemp-extract product research, safety, and identity and quality standards for hemp foods and dietary products. The memorandum recognizes the cooperation between the two industry leaders to advance consumer confidence, industry standards, and compliance with state and federal laws and regulations regarding hemp-extract products.
The agreement ensures that the two organizations will work together on educational initiatives promoting the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Good Manufacturing Practices regulation, Foreign Supplier Verification Programs, and general FDA regulatory and compliance for foods and dietary supplements, among others.
“UNPA has spent a great amount of time and energy evaluating appropriate relationships within the hemp and cannabis community,” said Loren Israelsen, UNPA president. “Organizationally, we wanted to better understand the fundamentals of the hemp industry, including farming, processing and extraction systems. UNPA fully supports the movement to hemp and its many uses. The health benefits and consumer interest in hemp extracts, CBD and other cannabinoids has become an important part of our work.”
“This MOU with the Hemp Industries Association advances these interests as the dietary supplement and hemp industries become allies in the commercial sector, as well as within regulatory, farm and foreign policy areas. We hope to help the hemp industry in its efforts to be fully compliant with food and supplement regulations, and to share our expertise in good manufacturing practices and quality compliance. We think this sharing of resources and expertise will add value for both organizations and both industries.”
The HIA will serve as a supporting partner to help promote UNPA’s Preventive Controls for Foods, Dietary Supplements and Botanically Derived Products and Ingredients training, to be held June 26-28, 2019, in Denver. The training course will focus on dietary supplements, foods and botanically derived ingredients used in the food and dietary supplement industry, including hemp and hemp-oil products, and the requirements of the Dietary Supplement Good Manufacturing Practices regulation. After successfully completing UNPA’s training course, participants will leave with a PCQI certificate of training and an understanding of the biological, chemical and physical hazards that may occur during manufacturing and product development.
FSMA requires each facility to have a PCQI on site to establish, implement and manage the required, written, hazard analysis and food safety plans for all food products and ingredients. As part of the two organizations’ new partnership, HIA members who attend the PCQI training will be offered the UNPA member price for the course.
“We hope our members will take full advantage of this collaborative opportunity,” said Keahey Lanier. “The training offered through UNPA is increasingly valuable as the hemp industry continues to grow and hemp foods are now seen as a mainstream dietary staple, as opposed to a novelty. We must ensure that our members are fully compliant with all existing federal regulations, prepared and informed if we wish to advance the strides we’ve made as an industry.”
Additionally, HIA and UNPA will collaborate through participation in seminars, educational workshops and retreats in relation to the hemp industry. The two organizations will share information, newsletters, and correspondence to inform each other of news, events and related information.
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About the Hemp Industries Association ®
Hemp Industries Association ® (HIA®) is a 501(c)(6), membership-based, non-profit organization that works to advance the hemp economy and educate the market for the benefit of members, the public, and the planet. Since its founding in 1994, The HIA has worked tirelessly for its 1,500-plus members to expand and protect the sale and marketing of hemp products. The culmination of that work was the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, which officially redefined hemp as an agricultural commodity and removed it from the purview of the Controlled Substances Act, thereby paving the way for a massive expansion of the market and positioning hemp producers to be a global economic force.
For more information, visit www.thehia.org.
For interviews with HIA leadership, contact Robert Hamm at robert@thehia.org.
About the United Natural Products Alliance
The United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) is an international association representing more than 120 leading natural products, dietary supplement, functional food and scientific and technology and related service companies that share a commitment to provide consumers with natural health products of superior quality, benefit, reliability and sustainability. Founded in 1992 in Utah—widely regarded as the epicenter of dietary supplement manufacturing in the United States—UNPA was instrumental in the passage of the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) and continues to take a leadership position in state and federal regulatory issues and industry best practices.
For more information, visitwww.unpa.com.