Compliance program

What is the SupplySide Compliance Program?

SupplySide events are international business-to-business entities with participants from many industries and many countries. Attendees and members should be aware that not all ingredients, technologies, claims or practices are appropriate for all industries or geographies. All participants should be familiar with the laws and regulations applicable to their specific business.

The SupplySide Compliance Program provides tools to gain a greater understanding of some of the most common compliance issues within the industry and help support self-regulatory efforts. We provide compliance monitoring during the SupplySide shows, enforcement where necessary and education year-round. Our compliance policy and reviews are based upon U.S. federal regulations. Your product promotional materials should be compliant with these U.S. laws. If you have any questions about compliance with our program, please contact supplysidecompliance@informa.com.

We also offer affordable regulatory reviews, market entry advice and copy editing through our MarketReady Insights program. More information is available at marketreadyinsights.com or please contact us at marketready@informa.com.

With these tools, we aim to provide an environment that promotes innovation and growth within the healthy ingredients industry.

Download a printable version of the SupplySide Compliance Program.

Compliance FAQs

Rules for compliance Compliance monitoring Enforcement Getting help Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program – (BAPP)Educational resources Claims guidance

Rules for compliance

All materials displayed at SupplySide events are subject to the SupplySide Compliance Program. This includes, but is not limited to: booth displays, package labeling and inserts, descriptions of ingredients and services, promotional materials, websites, videos or anything presented at the show.

Prohibited claims

Product information being disseminated at any SupplySide event must meet the following standards:

Disease claims are prohibited for dietary supplements. Promotion of a product to treat, prevent, mitigate or cure any disease or condition including but not limited to diabetes, cancer, flu, cold, heart disease or Alzheimer's disease is not permitted for dietary supplements.
Claims based on traditional use must clearly communicate that the sole basis for the claim is its history of use for a particular purpose.
Claims must be appropriate for dietary supplements and not advertise the product as a "drug" under the FDCA (Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act).

Claims that are a high priority for FDA include (but are not limited to): weight loss, body building, sexual enhancement and products for children. For more information about claims that can be made for conventional foods and dietary supplements, click here.

Prohibited ingredients

Ingredients that are banned from any use in the United States include, but are not limited to: ephedra/ephedrine, masking agents, narcotics. Also prohibited are ingredients that are not appropriate for the application, including but not limited to: anabolic steroids, and drug ingredients in food, beverage or dietary supplement ingredients.

Prohibited food and dietary supplement ingredients that are a high priority to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include (but are not limited to): anabolic steroids and anabolic steroid pre-cursors, masking agents, ephedra/ephedrine, narcotics, kratom.

For more information on industry information and regulations, click here.

Prevention of Adulterated Products

Adulteration is a global problem. SupplySide does not perform testing nor do we require lab analyses on products presented at our events. However, consumer safety is important to us. In our effort to protect consumers by removing adulterated products from global commerce, SupplySide (Informa) strongly encourages all buyers and sellers to be aware of the Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) and to begin using the BAPP Best Practices for the Disposal / Destruction of Irreparably Defective Articles (“IDAs”). To learn more about how to support and use this initiative to help solve a global problem, click here.

SupplySide's hemp and cannabinoid policy

The SupplySide Compliance Program has adopted this policy for products that contain hemp and hemp-derived cannabinoids to help ensure the industry complies with existing regulations and to encourage best practices that help ensure quality and transparency. Acceptance as an exhibitor or advertiser and approval for exhibition or advertisement of any cannabinoid product at a SupplySide event is NOT a determination that the product complies with all local, state and federal laws, all of which may vary. Neither is it, nor is it intended to be, legal advice; exhibitors should always seek the advice of a qualified attorney.

Review criteria*:

When reviewing cannabinoid products, our highest priorities are safety, transparency, truthfulness, reliability and responsibility.

1. Hemp-derived, full spectrum products cannot contain more than 0.3% THC and may not exceed the state requirements where an event is located.

2. Disease claims and all claims explicitly rejected by FDA, e.g. pain, chronic anxiety, etc. are prohibited.

3. Products may not be marketed for psychoactive, high, social buzz, etc. effects. THC focused products will not be accepted.

4. All statements must be substantiated.

5. Transparency, clarity and truthfulness in labeling are required.

6. Responsibility and care for vulnerable populations are required.

7. Vapes and vape accessories are prohibited.

8. Devices, including patches, are required to have appropriate FDA clearance (510k, PMA, registration and/or listing).

9. Exhibit review and approval is on a product-by-product basis.

*Violation of this show policy resolution will be considered a material violation of the show rules and regulations, and may result in the exhibitor’s removal from the venue at the venue's or show host management’s sole and absolute discretion.

Prohibited use of FDA logo

The FDA logo is for the official use of FDA and not for use on private sector materials. To the public, such use would send a message that FDA favors or endorses a private sector organization or the organization’s activities, products, services and/or personnel (either overtly or tacitly), which FDA does not and cannot do. Unauthorized use of the FDA logo may violate federal law and subject those responsible to civil and/or criminal liability.

For more information on the use of the FDA logo, click here.

Compliance monitoring

The SupplySide Compliance Program is made up of an in-house dedicated compliance team whose objective is to help make exhibitors and customers aware of noncompliance to preserve the integrity of the show floor for the benefit of exhibitors and the industry overall. We encourage all SupplySide participants to report any suspected violations.

Reporting an issue:

If you suspect a prohibited claim or ingredient, please report it immediately to the SupplySide compliance team. All inquiries are anonymous and will be handled promptly. For the safety of our attendees, exhibitors and members, please do not try to directly correct the company or individual in violation. To report a compliance issue covered by this program, you can do so in the following ways:

During in-person events

1. Report in the mobile app: Download the mobile application for your handheld device using the QR code. In the mobile application, select the compliance link to a fill out a report.

2. Report in person: Visit the Global Health & Nutrition Network Pavilion and make an anonymous report at the info center or notify anyone wearing a white/black SupplySide host badge.

3. Report via email: Send your concern to supplysidecompliance@informa.com.

Enforcement

SupplySide events are international business-to-business entities with participants from many industries and many countries. Attendees and members should be aware that not all ingredients, technologies, claims or practices are appropriate for all industries or geographies. All participants should be familiar with the laws and regulations applicable to their specific business.

Any SupplySide participant determined to be in violation of the SupplySide Compliance Program will be subject to enforcement action. While disputes regarding claims may happen, we make a good faith effort to mitigate the situation; however, enforcement action may include a meeting with SupplySide compliance team, suggested removal of prohibited materials, removal from SupplySide event, required revisions for the materials to be presented at future events, and/or referral to industry self-regulatory organizations or the appropriate regulatory agency.

Implementation Plan

These standards are for SupplySide in-person and online events and are applicable to all event-related Sponsorship materials and digital Paid Content. Compliance with our program does not exempt exhibitors/advertisers from complying with applicable legal or industry standards set forth by governmental agencies such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In addition, our Compliance program does not constitute an approval system. SupplySide strives to collect and review all exhibit contents but makes no guarantees that every potential deviation from these standards will be identified and communicated to exhibitors, nor does it guarantee the same approval or acceptance of products or labeling (marketing) at future exhibitions, as standards and approvals may evolve or be subject to change. Exhibitors are responsible for knowing and complying with all standards. SupplySide reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any company or product and its labeling for inclusion in its trade shows.
Literature presented at exhibits may be reviewed. Exhibitors whose materials are deemed out of compliance may be notified before, during or after events. Lack of notification for noncompliance does not necessarily mean exhibitor materials are in compliance with the Compliance Program.
Exhibitors are solely responsible for responding within the established deadlines for compliance.
An exhibitor may be asked to remove non-compliant products or materials from the exhibit immediately.
Any exhibitor may be asked to submit materials intended as exhibit content for pre-approval, solely at the discretion of SupplySide.
Acceptance of materials for exhibit at SupplySide events does not mean they meet all applicable federal or state regulatory requirements. Reviews are performed to determine whether exhibitors meet SupplySide eligibility requirements which incorporate some but not all regulatory requirements.
SupplySide reserves the right to change this policy and will keep exhibitors advised of any such changes.
We believe that upholding these standards will ultimately benefit our audience, our exhibitors and the industry. If we and our exhibitors work together to create even higher levels of audience trust, we will surely see increased sales and an increased likelihood of continued self-regulation for our industry.

Getting help

If you’re not familiar with U.S. federal requirements, would like assistance with a new product introduction or need additional information about labeling, claims or studies, our MarketReady Insights program is available to help. It also provides copy editing assistance for our international exhibitors. More detail about pricing and the services it can provide are available at www.marketreadyinsights.com, or please contact us at marketready@informa.com.

Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program – (BAPP)

The Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) is a large-scale program that educates members of the herbal and dietary supplement industry about ingredient and product adulteration. Partners include the American Botanical Council (ABC), the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP), and the University of Mississippi's National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR).

BAPP Best Practice SOP

BAPP Best Practice SOP is a voluntary self-regulatory solution that buyers and sellers can use to remove adulterated materials from global commerce (including botanicals and all non-botanical ingredients found in natural products).

Educational resources

Education is an important part of the SupplySide Compliance Program. We will be providing educational materials to all exhibitors to outline regulatory requirements related to prohibited claims and prohibited ingredients. Because Informa Exhibitions is committed to helping industry members ensure compliance to important regulations, these educational materials will be available before, during and after the show.

Please click here for our claims guidance that lists some unacceptable noncompliant claims and provides suggestions for acceptable claims.

In addition, Informa Exhibitions offers educational programs at each show related to the issue of regulatory compliance.

We encourage SupplySide participants to review materials available at the links below:

Natural Products Insider resources

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)

Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program – (BAPP)