WASHINGTON — Four dietary supplement trade associations are urging the National Institutes of Health to reconsider a proposed reorganization that would place the Office of Dietary Supplements under the Office of Nutrition Research, warning that the move could weaken its scientific role and complicate its congressionally mandated responsibilities.
In joint comments submitted to NIH, the American Herbal Products Association, Consumer Healthcare Products Association, Council for Responsible Nutrition and United Natural Products Alliance called for keeping ODS as a stand-alone office within NIH’s Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives.
The groups said NIH should strengthen collaboration between the two offices while preserving ODS’s organizational standing and independence.
Congress established ODS through the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 to advance scientific understanding of dietary supplements and their contributions to health. Its responsibilities also include advising senior federal health officials on supplement issues.
The associations argued that placing ODS within the Office of Nutrition Research could add a bureaucratic layer that diminishes its direct access to NIH leadership and complicates its advisory and scientific coordination duties.
They also raised concerns about maintaining the breadth of supplement research. That work extends beyond nutritional deficiencies to include the biological effects of botanicals, probiotics and other bioactive substances, as well as product quality, safety, efficacy and interactions with medications.
According to the groups, a reorganization could narrow attention to substances whose effects extend beyond conventional nutrient functions. They urged NIH to protect the specialized scientific infrastructure, funding and staffing needed to carry out ODS’s statutory mission.
The comments also identified unanswered questions about leadership authority, research priorities, accountability and the office’s ability to coordinate scientific initiatives across NIH.
The associations linked their call for sustained supplement research to the administration’s Make America Healthy Again priorities, citing recognition of the health benefits of select high-quality supplements as an area warranting scientific investigation.
If NIH proceeds with the restructuring, the groups urged the agency to first publish a detailed implementation plan for public comment. They said the plan should establish safeguards for ODS’s mission, leadership authority, scientific priorities, funding, staffing, advisory responsibilities and public-facing resources.
The associations also recommended a formal evaluation of the reorganization’s effects within two years, maintaining that stronger collaboration between the offices could be achieved without reducing ODS’s standing.
