(Silver Spring, MD, November 22, 2005) -- The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) recently chartered three new special committees: the Ayurvedic Herbal Products Committee, the Animal Products Committee, and the Hoodia gordonii Committee. Each of these committees was formed in response to requests by AHPA members with an interest in addressing issues related to these topics.
 
“AHPA’s special committees provide forums for pooling the expertise and insights of our member companies to promote responsible commerce in specific product categories,” said Michael McGuffin, AHPA President. “As our members’ needs have expanded, AHPA has extended our focus to meet those needs through the formation of these new committees.”
 
Each of the new committees has a described purpose of promoting and protecting responsible commerce in its particular area of focus. Thus, the Hoodia gordonii Committee exists to promote and protect responsible commerce of products that contain hoodia. The Animal Products Committee will bring this same purpose to herbal products that are marketed for use by animals (including pets and livestock), while the Ayurvedic Herbal Products Committee will focus its efforts on those herbs and herbal products that are included in and/or based on traditional use of Ayurvedic herbs.
 
The AHPA Executive Committee has appointed Greg Tilford (Animal Essentials) to chair the Animal Products Committee. The Hoodia gordonii Committee will be co-chaired by Hugh Lamond (Herbal Teas International) and James Fischer (representing Trimspa). No chair has yet been named for the Ayurvedic Products Committee.
 
These new committees are open to all AHPA members with an interest in the specific topics for which they have been formed. A full list of AHPA committees is on the AHPA website at: http://www.ahpa.org/committee.htm. To learn more about each committee or to express an interest in joining, please contact the AHPA staff liaison listed for each committee.

  ###
 
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is the national trade association and voice of the herbal products industry, the only trade association devoted solely to herbal issues. AHPA is the recognized leader in representing the responsible center of the botanical trade, and is comprised of the finest growers, processors, manufacturers and  marketers of herbal products. AHPA’s mission is to promote the responsible commerce of herbal products. AHPA committees generate self-regulations to ensure the highest level of responsibility with respect to the way herbs are manufactured, labeled and sold. Website: www.ahpa.org