Natural Products Association
A U.S. nonprofit trade association representing businesses in the natural products, dietary supplement, personal care, and related industries.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The Natural Products Association (NPA) is a United States nonprofit trade association representing companies involved in natural and health-oriented consumer products. Its membership base has included manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, ingredient suppliers, and other businesses connected with natural foods, dietary supplements, organic products, personal care, cosmetics, and household products. The association presents itself as one of the oldest and largest organizations serving the natural products sector in the United States. The organization was established in 1936 as the American Health Foods Association, initially with an educational mission focused on informing consumers about natural nutrition. It changed its name several times as its membership and policy remit expanded: to the Natural Health Foods Association in 1937, the National Dietary Foods Association in 1943, and the National Nutritional Foods Association in 1970. In June 2006, it adopted the name Natural Products Association, reflecting a broader industry scope than dietary and nutritional foods alone. NPA operates primarily as an advocacy, standards, certification, and education organization rather than as a producer or retailer of consumer goods. Its policy work includes representing the interests of natural products and dietary supplement businesses before Congress and federal agencies, commenting on proposed regulations, monitoring state legislative activity, and communicating industry concerns regarding labeling, manufacturing, product safety, and market access. The organization has also supported engagement with legislators through Natural Products Day events and briefings connected with the Congressional Dietary Supplement Caucus. Certification and compliance programs are a central part of the association's practical offering. Its Good Manufacturing Practices program, introduced in 1999, provides third-party inspection and certification against NPA standards for dietary supplement and ingredient manufacturers. The association also operates the NPA Natural Seal, a certification for qualifying personal care and home care products and ingredients. The Natural Seal generally requires products to contain at least 95 percent natural ingredients or ingredients derived from natural sources, excluding water, and places additional conditions on ingredient selection, animal testing, packaging, fragrance, colorants, and ingredient disclosure. NPA supplements these programs with technical and professional education. Its training has covered dietary supplement GMP compliance, regulatory inspections, labeling requirements, health claims, retail staff communications, and broader industry developments. It has also organized conferences, workshops, webinars, networking activities, and its Big Natural event, which brings together industry participants, government representatives, and other stakeholders. The association has maintained a regional structure through offices or affiliated regional groups serving the East, Midwest, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest. These regional bodies provide local policy engagement and have representation within the national organization. Membership and reach figures have varied by source and period: reference material describes a membership base ranging from more than 650 current members to historical descriptions of more than 1,900 members, with members collectively representing thousands of natural-product businesses and retail locations. Because these figures are not consistently time-stamped, they should be treated as historical or reported estimates rather than a current official count. NPA's positioning is that of an industry representative and standards-setting intermediary. It seeks to promote the credibility of natural products while helping member companies understand and comply with federal and state requirements. Its influence is concentrated in U.S. trade policy, product certification, manufacturing quality, and professional education rather than in consumer brand marketing.
History
The Natural Products Association traces its origins to 1936, when it was founded as the American Health Foods Association. Its initial purpose was to provide consumers with information about natural nutrition and to promote understanding of the emerging health-food movement. As the sector developed, the organization broadened its constituency beyond consumer education to include businesses involved in producing, distributing, and selling natural foods and related goods. In 1937, the association became the Natural Health Foods Association. The change reflected a wider role representing retailers, manufacturers, and distributors rather than functioning solely as a public-information body. In 1943, it adopted the name National Dietary Foods Association, emphasizing the dietary and specialized-food categories that were then central to its membership. In 1970, the organization became the National Nutritional Foods Association, a name it retained for several decades as dietary supplements, nutritional products, and natural-food retailing expanded in the United States. During the late twentieth century, the association increasingly focused on technical standards, federal regulatory affairs, and manufacturing quality. In 1999, it launched a third-party Good Manufacturing Practices certification program for dietary supplement and ingredient manufacturers. The program was designed to provide independent facility inspections and documentation reviews against NPA's GMP standard. This moved the association beyond conventional trade representation and gave members a mechanism for demonstrating manufacturing controls to business partners, regulators, and consumers. The organization also developed educational programs addressing the operational challenges faced by natural products companies. These programs have included seminars on federal GMP requirements, preparation for regulatory inspections, product labeling, mandatory and voluntary label elements, and the rules governing health-related claims. NPA has also offered resources for retailers, including guidance intended to help store employees discuss supplements without making claims that could create regulatory or consumer-protection problems. In June 2006, the National Nutritional Foods Association changed its name to the Natural Products Association. The new name was intended to encompass a broader range of categories, including organic and natural foods, dietary supplements, natural personal care, cosmetics, household products, and natural ingredients. The renamed association also became associated with the Dietary Supplement Caucus, a bipartisan and bicameral congressional forum established in 2006 to encourage discussion of supplement-related issues. Beginning in 2008, briefings connected with the caucus were held on Capitol Hill with participation from NPA and the Council for Responsible Nutrition. NPA's certification activities expanded through the NPA Natural Seal. The seal was created for qualifying home-care and personal-care products and ingredients and was presented as a U.S. natural-products certification based on ingredient sourcing, formulation, packaging, animal-testing, and labeling requirements. The standard generally requires at least 95 percent natural ingredients or ingredients from natural sources, excluding water. It also requires natural fragrances and colorants, prohibits ingredients considered to pose health risks under the program's criteria, addresses animal testing, and calls for biodegradable or recycled packaging materials. Reference material reports that more than 1,200 products and ingredients had received certification since 2008, although the exact current total is not independently time-stamped. The association's advocacy has covered federal legislation, agency enforcement, product regulation, and state-level policy. Its national office has engaged Congress and federal agencies, while regional offices have monitored state activity. NPA has organized Natural Products Day events in Washington, D.C., and California, giving members opportunities to meet lawmakers and staff. It has also recognized selected legislators through Congressional Champion Awards. NPA has continued to use conferences and educational gatherings to connect industry participants, regulators, and policy specialists. The Big Natural has provided sessions, workshops, case studies, discussions, networking, and benchmarking intended to support innovation and professional development. Regionally, the association has operated or supported groups including NPA East, NPA Midwest, NPA Northwest, the Southeast Natural Products Association, and NPA Southwest. These regional organizations have had their own boards, with regional leadership represented on the national board. The association remains an active U.S. nonprofit industry body. Its role is best understood as a combination of trade advocacy, technical education, certification, and sector coordination. Membership and reach estimates have changed over time, and published references report different figures, so no single current membership number is asserted here.
- 2008
Dietary Supplement Caucus briefings began
[1]NPA and the Council for Responsible Nutrition participated in the first reported Capitol Hill briefing associated with the caucus.
- 2008
Natural Seal certification period began
[1]Reference material identifies 2008 as the starting point for reported NPA Natural Seal certifications.
- 2006
Renamed the Natural Products Association
[1]In June 2006, the association adopted its current name to reflect a wider range of natural product categories.
- 2006
Dietary Supplement Caucus launched
[1]A bipartisan, bicameral congressional caucus was established to facilitate discussion of dietary supplement issues.
- 1999
Launched GMP certification
[1]NPA introduced a third-party Good Manufacturing Practices certification program for dietary supplement and ingredient manufacturers.
- 1970
Became the National Nutritional Foods Association
[1]The organization adopted the National Nutritional Foods Association name, commonly abbreviated NNFA.
- 1943
Adopted the National Dietary Foods Association name
[1]The association changed its name to the National Dietary Foods Association.
- 1937
First name change
[1]It became the Natural Health Foods Association as its representation of retailers, manufacturers, and distributors expanded.
- 1936
Organization founded
[1]The organization was established as the American Health Foods Association to educate consumers about natural nutrition.
Products and positioning
Industry association, standards organization, certification provider, and advocacy group for the U.S. natural products and dietary supplement sectors.
Natural personal care and home care certification · 2008
NPA Natural Seal
A certification program for qualifying personal-care and home-care products and ingredients. The standard generally requires at least 95 percent natural ingredients or ingredients derived from natural sources, excluding water. It also addresses ingredient safety, animal testing, packaging, ingredient disclosure, and the use of natural fragrances and colorants. Reference material reports that the program had certified more than 1,200 products and ingredients since 2008.
Manufacturing compliance certification · 1999
NPA GMP Certification
A third-party Good Manufacturing Practices certification program for dietary supplement and ingredient manufacturers. Certification involves facility inspections and reviews of GMP-related documentation against the NPA standard. The association also provides GMP seminars covering regulatory requirements, inspection preparation, and compliance practices.
Government-relations and advocacy event
Natural Products Day
An advocacy event that brings NPA members and other industry participants to congressional offices to discuss legislative and regulatory matters with senators, representatives, and their staff. The association also presents Congressional Champion Awards to selected legislators and has organized a California version in Sacramento.
Industry conference and education event
The Big Natural
An industry-focused event built around educational sessions, workshops, case studies, interactive discussions, networking, and benchmarking. Its stated purpose is to connect natural products leaders, innovators, government officials, and other stakeholders.
Professional education
Industry education programs
A collection of seminars, webinars, conference sessions, and educational resources covering dietary supplement GMP requirements, labeling, health claims, regulatory inspections, and retail staff communications. Programs are available to members and, in some cases, non-members, with members typically receiving discounted access.
Marketing campaigns
- Natural Products Day
United States · California
An annual advocacy initiative focused on direct engagement between natural products industry participants and members of Congress or state lawmakers. The program addresses legislation and regulation affecting natural products and dietary supplements.
Outcome. Provides a recurring channel for member lobbying and policy education; a specific measurable policy outcome is not identified in the available material.
- Dietary Supplement Caucus briefings
United States
NPA has supported Capitol Hill briefings associated with the bipartisan, bicameral Dietary Supplement Caucus, working with the Council for Responsible Nutrition to encourage congressional discussion of supplement policy.
Outcome. The briefings created an ongoing educational forum for lawmakers and staff; no single campaign result is specified.
- The Big Natural
United States
A two-day industry event combining educational programming, workshops, case studies, discussion, networking, and benchmarking for natural products stakeholders.
Outcome. The event supports industry knowledge-sharing and networking; a quantified outcome is not available in the reference material.
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