As part of Nutraceuticals World’s 2026 State of the Industry review, Steve Mister, President & CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), discusses how the supplement industry is leading the shift from reactive to proactive healthcare goals while advancing responsible self-regulation, strengthening consumer trust, and ensuring access through science-based advocacy and transparency.

If the 2024 elections created a sense of anticipation for the dietary supplement industry, 2025 has been a year of modifying our expectations. A new Administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda promised a renaissance for preventive health and nutrition, and many of us in the dietary supplement and functional food industry saw an opportunity to redefine our role in public health. But a year later, that “golden age” has proven more complex — less a revolution, and more a recalibration.

At CRN, we’ve worked to align the supplement industry’s priorities with MAHA’s broader goals. Afterall, the supplement industry has been promoting a proactive approach to wellness, personal engagement in one’s health, and widespread access to products and education about integrative healthcare for years. As I said at CRN’s recent executive conference, “We were MAHA before MAHA was even cool.”

Looking at the objectives of the MAHA movement in 2024, the early attention from policymakers has leaned toward “what to remove” from the American diet — ultra-processed foods, synthetic additives — rather than “what to add.” And too often, supplements got included in those discussions, which included a renewed regulatory focus on the abuses of the self-GRAS system. CRN succeeded in removing supplements from those state bills in Texas and Louisiana, getting melatonin deleted from the legislation, and defending titanium dioxide in supplements. 

Now CRN is redirecting the conversation to nutrient adequacy: the reality that millions of Americans still fall short on essential vitamins and minerals, and that supplements are a proven, regulated tool to close those gaps. We found common ground with HHS in urging medical schools to expand nutrition education, and with USDA and HHS in revising the Dietary Guidelines to acknowledge the role of supplements in achieving nutrient sufficiency. CRN’s efforts to make dietary supplements eligible as qualified medical expenses under FSAs and HSAs has gained new traction, supported by a CRN-commissioned economic analysis and growing bipartisan support in Congress.

At the same time, CRN defended consumer access on multiple fronts. We fought against misguided age-restriction bills for weight management and sports nutrition products, and we successfully narrowed California’s heavy metals testing bill targeting prenatal supplements to avoid consumer confusion and nutrient reduction. We also proposed reforms to improve transparency in the self-GRAS process rather than abolish it outright — proving again that responsible self-regulation works.

Internally, CRN’s “Responsible. It’s Our Middle Name.” campaign underscored the industry’s commitment to proactive governance. New voluntary guidelines for melatonin labeling and online product disclosures went into effect, and CRN’s members began work on a potential voluntary guideline for turmeric. Through the CRN Foundation’s Access Initiative, member companies continued expanding nutritional outreach to underserved communities — a tangible expression of our mission to make better health available to all Americans.

If 2025 reminded us of anything, it’s that progress often comes through persistence, transparency, and partnership. Finding balance between innovation and regulation, between ambition and accountability, is what strengthens both our credibility and our consumer trust.

The coming year will test how effectively the industry can align with policymakers, regulators, and consumers. Expect renewed debate over FDA reform, including increased accountability for GRAS ingredients and long-awaited updates to New Dietary Ingredient guidance. Separately, we can expect movement on FSA/HSA reimbursement for supplements — either through Congress or IRS rulemaking. Media scrutiny of ingredients and supplement marketing will continue, particularly around ingredients like melatonin and turmeric, making transparency and science-backed communication more important than ever.

But the momentum is real. As health policy evolves from reactive care to preventive wellness, supplements will increasingly be recognized not as alternatives to medicine, but as essential partners in public health. The industry’s challenge — and opportunity — in 2026 will be to sustain that dialogue, lead responsibly, and continue proving that good nutrition is the foundation of a healthier nation.