NutraIngredients | Oct 20, 2026

FDA’s Office of Dietary Supplement Programs director said the agency is reexamining its longstanding reading of the statutory definition of a dietary substance, and a standalone draft guidance may follow. She also said FDA prefers that new supplement ingredients go through the dietary supplement pathway rather than GRAS, especially when GRAS is chosen to avoid agency review. The signal matters because the DSHEA definition determines which ingredients can lawfully reach the market.

SupplySide Supplement Journal | Oct 21, 2026

FDA finalized the section of its New Dietary Ingredient draft guidance on what a notification should contain, with specific provisions for enzymes, botanicals, extracts, salts and microbial ingredients. The guidance leaves open how much chemical alteration, such as a change in extraction method, would trigger a new notification. That question has gone unanswered since 2010 and sits at the center of DSHEA’s premarket framework.

Whole Foods Magazine | Oct 21, 2026

The Council for Responsible Nutrition praised added flexibility and recognition of historical use but criticized the retained 25-year history-of-use benchmark. The American Herbal Products Association welcomed dropping the advice to file separate notifications for each formulation, while saying concerns about botanical extracts and finished-product safety remain. The reactions show where industry will press FDA as the guidance is implemented.

Medical Daily | Oct 24, 2026

Consumer-facing coverage explains that the October 19 guidance is a recommendation, not binding law, and that the notification process is not an FDA approval. The agency does not certify that a supplement is safe, a point that reflects the DSHEA framework in which manufacturers bear responsibility for safety. The story shows how the new guidance is reaching the public.

NutraIngredients | Oct 26, 2026

AHPA, CHPA, CRN and UNPA filed joint comments with NIH on October 23 opposing a proposal to fold the Office of Dietary Supplements into the Office of Nutrition Research. The groups argue the move could weaken the office’s congressional mandate, which stems from DSHEA, and narrow its scientific reach. If NIH proceeds, they want a published implementation plan and a formal evaluation within two years.

Reuters via ESM Magazine | Oct 22, 2026

Reuters reports that GLP-1 drug users are buying supplements to ease side effects, helping push U.S. supplement sales past $74 billion in 2025. Doctors warn that products requiring no FDA preapproval are hard to verify. The story also notes HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s proposal to end the GRAS pathway that lets makers skip FDA notification, a plan on which industry is divided.

SupplySide Supplement Journal | Oct 21, 2026

Ashwagandha is not banned in the U.S. or across the EU, though Denmark prohibits it in food supplements and several regulators are examining rare liver injury and hormonal effects. India has directed root-only use, and a court stay covers only the companies that petitioned. The overview shows how one top-selling botanical faces a patchwork of national rules.

SupplySide Supplement Journal | Oct 22, 2026

This opinion piece argues that quality scores show a supplement is made correctly but not whether it works for a given person or interacts with other products. The author says real value lies in personalized plans built on human evidence. The debate bears on how brands substantiate claims under DSHEA’s structure/function framework.

Your Voice Matters

Public comments on NIH’s proposal to move the Office of Dietary Supplements are due October 28. Speak up for independent, science-based oversight of supplements.