www.nowfoods.com
www.npanational.org
Jim Emme has been a member of the NOW management team since 1995, initially as chief of operations and then as president of NOW Foods. He was promoted to chief executive officer of NOW Health Group (NHG) in 2014. NHG comprises Puresource, Canada’s leading national distributor and manufacturer of natural health products; The Fruitful Yield, a chain of 12 natural food stores in the Chicagoland area; and NOW Foods, the largest division of the company and manufacturer of more than 1,600 dietary supplements, foods, sports nutrition and personal care products.
Emme has been a key player in NHG’s global expansion efforts, and instrumental in developing the operational resources and facilities in North America.
Last year, Emme was appointed Chairman of the Natural Products Association (NPA) Board of Directors. He also serves on the United Natural Products Association (UNPA) Executive Advisory Committee and the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) Board of Trustees. Here he discusses NPA’s anniversary.
Question: What is the association’s impact on the natural product industry?
Answer: NPA has a long and storied history going back to its founding in 1936. We view ourselves as more than just a trade group, but a movement made possible by the active participation of our members. Each of our members have played a significant role in advocacy for consumer choice, while influencing policy decisions at the federal, state and local levels for almost a century. Our members have fought for the right of consumers to choose safe natural products that support their lifestyle goals.
The natural products industry today would not exist without the policy wins that NPA has been leading for decades. Our advocacy, perseverance, technical expertise and long-term relationships have led to better choices in supplements, natural products and the strong values that support all of us to live healthier lives.
Question: What does the NPA have in store to celebrate its 90th anniversary?
Answer: Our celebration of the 90th anniversary of NPA will be highlighted with several events, both virtual and in-person throughout 2026. These will involve multiple opportunities for education, communication and in-person policy meetings to help propel the industry forward as we begin the journey of our next 90 years.
Question: Please discuss NPA’s Fly-In Day—who should attend? What does the association hope to accomplish during the event this year?
Answer: NPA is recognized by legislators and their staff alike as the most present, trusted and effective advocacy organization in the natural products industry. The NPA annual Fly-In Day is the premier industry event, where our members actively participate in meeting with congressional members and their staff at dozens of locations on Capitol Hill.
The event differs from any other trade advocacy in that attending members will have the opportunity to not just attend meetings on Capitol Hill, but to actively participate in these discussions. Our approach to on-site advocacy differs from those of some other industry groups who have people attend but do not speak in the few scheduled meetings. We expect and need our members to express their voice in these meetings, supporting the goals of our organization while expressing their challenges to Hill staff members and the legislators.
There are often more than 130 of these meetings scheduled on NPA Fly-In Day, so everyone’s participation is needed to cover all these face-to-face events.
Question: What are the NPA’s recent wins?
Answer: NPA successfully challenged FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) attempts to assert that legitimate dietary ingredients, including NAC and more recently NMN, are precluded in supplements. Both products were successfully brought back to market by the efforts of NPA.
We are pleased with the announcement from FDA that it is considering a regulatory change regarding the requirement for the DSHEA disclaimer to appear on each panel of a dietary supplement product label where an applicable claim is made. Once again, NPA delivered results.
NPA further led efforts to obtain tariff relief via the Annex II process in March/April 2025. The direct efforts of NPA working with the White House made this possible, resulting in savings of hundreds of millions of dollars in tariff expenses that would have been passed on to our consumers.
The association has successfully defeated the majority of state-level bills to restrict access to weight loss and muscle building products that have been introduced since the passage of the New York State law. This is an ongoing challenge that will not go away without a federal legislative solution.
Finally, NPA was invited to be direct advisors to the White House MAHA Commission established in May 2025. NPA is the only industry group invited to participate directly in this process.
