The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement industry, has created an Advisory Board for the Supplement OWL (Online Wellness Library), the dietary supplement product registry. Eight individuals have been appointed to serve on the Board, including representatives from dietary supplement companies (CRN members and non-members) and other representatives of the industry, along with two technical advisors.

According to CRN President & CEO Steve Mister, “The Advisory Board brings together stakeholders from all corners of the supplement industry and provides a forum to discuss the forward progress of the Supplement OWL. The goal is to take a critical look at the registry and continually find ways to improve upon the successes already actualized, and find new ways to optimize the experiences of both users and participants.”

Appointees to the Supplement OWL Advisory Board are:

• Jeff Brams, general counsel and vice president, science & international, Garden of Life
• Michael Cleary, PhD, director of research and development, SmartyPants
• Mike Devereux, CEO, Nature’s Way
• Randy King, senior vice president, governance & compliance, New Chapter, Inc.
• Carlotta Mast, executive director of content & insights, New Hope Natural Media
• Steve Mister, president & CEO, CRN
• Guru Ramanathan, PhD, chief innovation officer and senior vice president, GNC
• Pam Walker, head of global sales, materials & ingredients, UL

Non-voting Technical Advisors to the Board are:

• Duffy MacKay, N.D., senior vice president, scientific & regulatory affairs, CRN
• Alec Miller, director of software development, UL

“The majority of the appointees have been involved with the Supplement OWL since its inception,” said Mr. Mister. “Having an intimate knowledge of the roots of the registry, the members of this Board will be able to offer insight and constructive feedback that speaks to the OWL’s past, present, and future.”

Continued Mr. Mister, “As the Supplement OWL continues to gain momentum throughout the industry, it’s crucial that the registry evolves to accommodate increased demand and participation. Though just six months old, the registry already contains an appreciable amount of product labels, and is being noticed by regulators, retailers, and other target audiences. Through its work and regular meetings, the Supplement OWL Advisory Board will ensure the registry lives up to its potential.”

The Supplement OWL is an industry-wide, self-regulatory initiative that will help create a rich and more complete picture of the marketplace for regulators, retailers, and industry. The Supplement OWL will serve as a resource for these audiences to identify products, their ingredients and the companies who market them, and permit registry users to examine and evaluate labels and other product information. CRN is spearheading the effort by providing the initial funding and conceptual project management. UL, a global independent safety science company, is investing funding in the development and administration of the registry and the technology that will drive this database.
 
To learn more about the Supplement OWL and how to get started uploading product labels, visit www.SupplementOWL.org.