On June 30, the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) announced, after 34 years, it will cease operations at the end of 2026 following the retirement of its founder and president, Loren D. Israelsen.
Since its founding in 1992, UNPA has helped shape the regulatory, quality and public policy framework that enabled dietary supplements to evolve from a niche market to a global industry serving hundreds of millions of consumers.
“UNPA was founded on a single goal: to secure statutory recognition for dietary supplements as a lawful category of FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)-regulated products,” Israelsen said. “As improbable as that seemed, it succeeded. Thirty-four years later, I believe UNPA has fulfilled that mission, and more.”
At the time, the organization was known as the Utah Natural Products Alliance, reflecting both its geographic roots and Utah’s prominence as a geopolitical center of dietary supplement manufacturing and innovation. UNPA worked closely with Senator Orrin Hatch, Congressman Bill Richardson, industry leaders and consumer advocates to advance legislation that would ultimately become the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994.
“The passage of DSHEA was the defining moment in the history of our industry,” Israelsen said. “UNPA was privileged to help shape that effort alongside Senators Hatch and Harkin, many industry leaders and organizations, and countless consumers. The industry we see today exists because we were all tenacious fighters. Underdogs is an understatement.”
Over the next 30 years, UNPA evolved from a Utah-centric group into an international association representing dietary supplement manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, contract manufacturers, analytical laboratories, scientific organizations and service providers. In 2005, the organization became the United Natural Products Alliance.
UNPA earned a reputation as one of the industry’s most respected voices on regulatory policy, quality standards, international trade and responsible self-governance. The association served as a trusted forum where it could work collaboratively with others to address issues affecting the global industry.
In a career spanning more than 40 years, Israelsen has authored more than 150 articles and book chapters, lectured internationally, advised government officials and industry leaders, and helped shape some of the most significant public policy discussions affected dietary supplements and natural health products.
Israelsen has been recognized with numerous lifestyle achievement and leadership awards. He was recently awarded an honorary Doctor of Human Letters degree from Sonoran University of Health Sciences in recognition of his contributions to dietary supplements and public health.
“The dietary supplement industry has grown beyond anything we imagined in the early 1990s. Today there are strong organizations, talented leaders, and a new generation of advocates prepared to guide the industry’s future,” Israelsen said. “After 46 years in the dietary supplement industry, including 34 years leading UNPA, I am ready to explore the final chapter of my life. For four decades, I have been climbing the mountain of advocacy. I now feel the call to see what life looks like on the other side of the mountain. I close this long chapter with gratitude and a deep appreciation for the journey that brought us here and the people who traveled that road together.”
UNPA will hold its final member retreat in September and its final member meeting during SupplySide Global in Las Vegas, NV in October.
For more information, visit www.unpa.com.
