Did you know that that 71% of Canadians use Natural Health Products (NHPs) as a part of their proactive healthcare? If you take a supplement like Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Fibre, Magnesium, Probiotics or if you use natural toothpaste, deodorant or products of the like, then you are part of that majority.

In Canada, we’re lucky to have a governing body ensuring the safety and efficacy of the Natural Health Products we consume. We’re actually the only country in the world with a dedicated set of regulations governing NHPs. Here, our NHPs are regulated by the Natural and Non-Prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD) under the Natural Health Products Regulations (NHPR) so we can feel confident in the products we consume.

But Health Canada has recently proposed additional fees to import, manufacture, and sell NHPs along with new labelling laws that could force many small to medium-sized businesses to shut down Canadian operations and the ones that stay will have to pass down their cost increases to customers who rely on them.

That’s why we’ve partnered with The Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) to encourage Natural Health Product users to get involved in their fight to Save Our Supplements.

So what is CHFA anyway?

CHFA is Canada’s largest trade association dedicated to all things natural, organic and wellness. Since 1964, it has grown from a grassroots community of health food pioneers to an organization representing over 1,000 member businesses across Canada. They exist to educate, advocate, and create community for the manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and importers in the natural, organic and wellness industry.

Why did we choose to partner with them?

We are Natural Health Product consumers ourselves and we believe that access to these products should be expanded, not limited. We believe that the newly proposed fees and guidelines by Health Canada are unnecessary and will do more harm than good for everyone from manufacturers and retailers, right down to consumers.

What are these newly proposed regulations and what effect will they have?

Health Canada is proposing 2 major changes, set to come into play at the same time.

The first change is to packaging. The intention is to ensure label information is presented in a legible and comprehensive manner but the reality is that requiring additional copy on labels will require larger packaging, therefore creating a negative environmental impact and increasing shipping costs.

The second change is an increase in fees for regulatory activity, such as product evaluation, site licenses and annual renewal fees.  The timing of implementing this program at the same time as new labelling requirements will financially decimate many companies in the Natural Health Product industry, making it extremely challenging for them to stay viable.

What can you do about it?

The only way to let the government know that you don’t support the newly proposed regulations is to e-mail your MP to voice your concerns. CHFA has created a templated letter to make it as simple as possible for you to get involved.

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