The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), Washington, D.C., will chair the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) Dietary Supplements Stakeholder Forum on May 16, in Rockville, MD, just outside of Washington, D.C. The USP Stakeholder Forums are held approximately every two years, with a different trade association typically chosen to chair the meeting in rotation.
 
Representing CRN, Jim Griffiths, Ph.D., vice president, scientific and international affairs, will moderate discussions during the forum and oversee the meeting. This is a key gathering for dietary supplement industry representatives who wish to be fully engaged in the important standards-setting process.
 
The forum is scheduled the day after the 3rd International Vitamin Conference (IVC) in Washington, D.C., May 12-15, making a trip to the area for both meetings efficient and convenient for industry executives.
 
“CRN is grateful for this opportunity to engage with USP and other dietary supplement industry stakeholders in the important work of discussing standards for assessing dietary supplements and ingredients,” Dr. Griffiths said.
 
The USP Stakeholder Forums enable an exchange of information and perspectives, with the ultimate goal of improving USP standards and information.
 
“USP is pleased to provide this forum as an opportunity to gain valuable insights from dietary supplement industry stakeholders,” said Gabriel Giancaspro, Ph.D., USP, vice president, foods, dietary supplements and herbal medicines. “An open discourse between USP as a public standards-setting body and representatives of dietary supplement industry companies is critical to ensuring that public standards are up-to-date and fulfill the needs of consumers, industry and regulators.”
 
USP and dietary supplement industry stakeholders will discuss the following topics during this forum:
 
            • New Dietary Ingredients Without Public Specifications
            • Disintegration and Dissolution of Dietary Supplements
            • Adulteration and DNA Barcoding
            • Shelf Life, Limits for Degradents, Validation / Verification
 
In addition to the in-person forum, USP is offering a web-based component to expand the opportunity for stakeholder participation. While remote participants will not be able to provide verbal input, they may submit written questions and comments during the meeting. Registration is free for both in-person and remote attendance and is available via USP’s website: www.usp.org.