The American Natural Merchandise Affiliation (AHPA) shared information of the passing of longtime President Michael McGuffin. He handed on Monday, February 17, 2025.
McGuffin served as AHPA President for 25 years, will probably be remembered for his steadfast advocacy for cheap laws and proactive self-governance. In a recent article for WholeFoods, McGuffin shared key insights to assist information the way forward for the business, and provided hope for a united future: “The pure merchandise business has a historical past of resilience and innovation,” McGuffin stated. “By uniting round widespread targets, we will flip the challenges of 2024 into alternatives for progress and enchancment in 2025 and past. Collectively, we will form a future the place pure merchandise stay accessible, trusted, and useful for all.”
McGuffin’s skilled contributions are many. He has been energetic within the natural business since 1975, based on his LinkedIn profile, having owned and managed each retail and manufacturing companies on this area. He was the Managing Editor of Botanical Security Handbook (1997) and of Herbs of Commerce, 2nd version (2000). Michael additionally served on the boards of the American Natural Pharmacopoeia and United Plant Savers, and as a member of the Advisory Board of the USC Faculty of Pharmacy Regulatory Science Grasp’s Diploma Program.
McGuffin additionally was a trusted mentor, a cherished good friend to many, and a pillar of the natural neighborhood, AHPA shared, including, “We are going to deeply miss his humor, his encyclopedic data of the natural business, his sensible counsel â and, after all, his skilled tomato-growing expertise. Whereas we mourn his passing, we additionally have fun his exceptional legacy, which can proceed to form AHPA and the broader business for years to return.”
Trade leaders and buddies honor McGuffin
Unparalleled management and keenness…
Jane Wilson, Interim Govt Director of AHPA, remarked on McGuffin’s legacy:Â âMichaelâs management and keenness have been unparalleled, and his affect on AHPA and the natural neighborhood can’t be overstated. Whereas we grieve this large loss, AHPA stays totally dedicated to serving our members and carrying ahead the imaginative and prescient and values that Michael championed.â
Unwavering dedication and management…
Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., Â President and CEO of the Pure Merchandise Affiliation (NPA), shared, “Michael was instrumental in advancing the targets and imaginative and prescient of the American Natural Merchandise Affiliation. Since 1999, Michael has served as President demonstrating unwavering dedication and management all through his tenure. Throughout this tough time, we lengthen our heartfelt condolences to his household, buddies, the group on the American Natural Merchandise Associations and all who had the privilege of figuring out him.”
Sturdy and rooted in deep rules…
Asa Waldstein, Principal of Complement Advisory Group, shared, “Iâve been an AHPA member since 2003 and I attribute a lot of my skilled success to the connections, alternatives, and classes Iâve realized at AHPA. On the heart of this was Michael McGuffin. I had the privilege of studying from Michael through the yearsânot nearly compliance and the significance of the natural business but in addition about how the choices we make at this time have lasting results on our business for years. This highlights Michaelâs method to being considerate and strategic, at all times defending the guiding mission of supporting the accountable commerce of natural merchandise. Michael had a no-nonsense method and a pointy wit, however those that knew him effectively additionally noticed his kindness, generosity, and deep dedication to the natural merchandise business. Michael was like a magnolia tree, sturdy and rooted in deep rules. He was significantly revered and whereas his exterior might appear powerful, those that acquired to know him found his kindness, intelligence and the humor that made him actually particular. Relaxation in peace, Michael; you may be missed and remembered with a heat natural coronary heart! †We are going to proceed to combat for herbalism, defending the crops such because the necessary work AHPA has performed with osha, and guaranteeing the natural business continues to flourish.“
A supply of enlightenment…
WholeFoods Journal’s Heather Wainer, Writer/Chief Enterprise Officer remarked on what number of will miss Michael personally and professionally. “I at all times relied upon him for natural and wine data, each of which he was an skilled on. I’ve been privileged to spend many dinners with him the place we have been enlightened. I additionally had the chance to go to his backyard years in the past and was amazed as I should not have a inexperienced thumb, however he did give me targets for some day. When he came upon about our archives when NDIS the place first being launched, we have been completely satisfied to assist him dig up to now and assist the trigger. His contribution to our business is a testomony that all of us ought to cherish along with his reminiscence. Thanks Michael.”
A pressure of nature…
“Michael McGuffin was a pressure of nature,” shared Elan Sudberg, CEO, Alkemist Labs and AHPA Board member. “He was my mentor, good friend, and chief. The void from his passing won’t ever be crammed. He and I did not at all times agree on every little thing, however we maintained respect, and I at all times welcomed his knowledge. Because the outdated guard of our business begins to exit, we should retain authenticity, combat for what we consider in, and be sort to one another.”
Sincere, clear, and constant…
Invoice Chioffi, COO, Nammex and AHPA Board member, shared, “Nice leaders are sometimes stated to have related qualities, integrity being on the high of the listing. Michael McGuffin has been a topic skilled on natural medication, its industrial manufacturing and regulatory necessities since 1975 and President of AHPA since 1999. In my private expertise as a member and board member of AHPA in addition to sitting with Michael on the board of United Plant Savers for a few years, I realized that Michael is trustworthy, clear, and constant in his actions. He additionally made implausible Fig Jam from his personal fruit and gifted it out, actually a candy reward, similar to Michael was to so many people.”Â
Exceptional and invaluable…
“Michael was an enormous affect in my changing into within the natural merchandise business, beginning within the mid-Nineteen Nineties when his firm McZand Natural was a shopper,” shared Suzanne Shelton, Founder, The Shelton Group. “He acquired me concerned in AHPA shortly after that, and we’ve got labored intently collectively for a few years. His data of the regulatory panorama and skill to interpret and talk about that was exceptional and invaluable. However what I’ll miss probably the most is Michaelâs voice on the opposite finish of the telephone calling to catch up, dinner each time we have been in the identical metropolis, and the texts about music he preferred and needed me to listen to. I’ll honor my good friendâs legacy by persevering with to actively help the commerce affiliation he devoted so a few years to.”
Steadfast advocate and influential chief…
The last word gentleman and scholar…
“Michael had a beautiful approach of partaking with any subject, whether or not controversial, sophisticated, or complementary. He was the last word gentleman and scholar,” shared Karen Howard, CEO/Govt Director, Natural & Pure Well being Affiliation. “I’ll miss his counsel, and we are going to all miss the authenticity of his management and wealth of knowledge.â
Instrumental in constructing the fashionable herb business…
“Michael was tireless, devoted, passionate, and really efficient and sometimes the ‘smartest man within the room,'” shared Mark Blumenthal, American Botanical Council (ABC) Founder & Govt Director, Editor-in-Chief, HerbalGram & HerbClip, and Director of BAPP. “He was a repository of extensively detailed institutional reminiscence of the herb business in the US, going again to the times of his personal herb firm within the late Seventies and early Nineteen Eighties, when the fledgling business was clearly a lot smaller and far much less advanced and complicated than it’s at this time.
“He was a grasp of key info on a large spectrum of serious points crucial for the success of small, medium-sized, and enormous herb companies. He had the power to masterfully cope with each the forest and the timber: Whereas with the ability to attend to the high quality factors and nuances of state and federal regulation, Michael additionally has broad strategic imaginative and prescient. His shepherding of AHPAâs management in quite a few key business areas â e.g., widespread names for crops in commerce (by way of AHPAâs Herbs of Commerce books) and his management in establishing credible info for rational and accountable security labeling of herb merchandise (AHPAâs Botanical Security Handbook) â have contributed enormously to accountable practices within the herb commerce and the vibrancy of the natural merchandise business.Â
“All corporations that promote herbs and botanical components in the US owe a debt of gratitude to Michael (and AHPA) â and they need to be supporting AHPA and Michaelâs work and laudable  legacy.
“When the historical past of the herb business within the U.S. is written â 50 or maybe 100 years from now â Michael will probably be on the high of the listing of people that have been instrumental in constructing the fashionable herb business. In 2021 the American Botanical Council acknowledged Michael for his sturdy management within the American herb business with ABCâs annual Mark Blumenthal Natural Neighborhood Builder Award for his unparalleled efforts in serving to to create a viable and strong herb business and prolonged natural neighborhood in the US. The U.S. herb business is flying its digital inexperienced flag at half-staff in honor of Michael.”
A visionary chief…
“Micheal was a visionary chief,” stated Beth Lambert, CEO of Herbalist & Alchemist, Inc., and AHPA Board member. “His data of the crops, understanding of the regulatory framework and wishes of small and enormous companies gave him a novel perspective. He will probably be sorely missed.”
The good reward of readability of thought and opinion…
Loren Israelsen, Founder and President of UNPA, shared, “The Michael McGuffin I knew delighted in increased math, physics, and ladyslipper. His views have been clear on issues, as have been the traces of disagreement. (He was of Celtic descent, afterall.) He had the nice reward of readability of thought and opinion. His fondness to share a brand new recipe he had been engaged on at all times discovered its approach into our enterprise telephone calls. He admired the eclectic physicians of the previous century who took the very best concepts and blended them into one thing higher, as a result of he, too, was eclectic.Â
“Michael’s exceptional reminiscence for element served us effectively when debates about arcane DSHEA historical past arose. Amongst his colleagues, single malt scotch was most well-liked, however Michael favored a high quality Kentucky bourbon. A Pappy Van Winkle would swimsuit simply high quality. His southern roots have been by no means distant. His assortment of uncommon herbals was broadly admired. It appeared to me their authors have been his chosen mental lineage.Â
“He walked with equal confidence the halls of Congress, the nice herb gardens of the world, and his personal quiet paths identified to few of us. And for variety of years, our paths joined in trigger and function. Herbs have been his delight. AHPA was his stewardship, and his backyard will miss him, as will I.”
Boundless wealth of data, vitality, and keenness….
“President McGuffin, my pricey mentor, will probably be missed,” shared Wilson Lau, President, Nuherbs and AHPA board member. “His boundless wealth of data, vitality, and keenness utilized to advocacy for our beloved natural merchandise business will particularly be missed. We, as an business, should attempt to honor his legacy and proceed advocating for higher entry to our treasured herbs.”
I can not have a cup of Yaupon tea with out pondering of Michael…
“It is humorous what involves thoughts when a colleague passes,” shared Wellness Trade Professional and Marketing consultant Jacqueline Jacques, ND, FTOS, Naturopathic Physician & Fellow of the Weight problems Society. “Professionally, I knew Michael for a really very long time and we had numerous interactions at skilled gatherings and committee conferences and such. I’ll always remember in one among our first conferences for the AHPA Psychedelic Committee when a gaggle of us have been struggling to outline ‘psychedelic’ in a really scientific approach and Micheal simply chimed in and stated ‘I feel this is perhaps a one the place you realize it if you see it’ â which definitely gave us all chortle.
“However actually the reminiscence I preserve going to is the day about two years in the past the place I used to be sitting house working, probably not having the very best day, when my telephone rings and I can see it is Michael calling. I used to be not in a lot of a temper to speak to anybody, however Michael had by no means simply known as me out of the blue and I assumed it was necessary. So I decide up the telephone, and Michael simply begins chatting with me. We speak about residing in Southern California and what I’ve been doing in my consulting work, and a bit about AHPA. Then someway get on the subject of baking and our favourite sorts of flour, and I inform him about this Montana wheat flour I’ve been loving and comply with ship him some.Â
“Anyway, after fairly some time of this, simply to verify, I pause and ask, ‘Michael, was there something you wanted from me at this time?’ He says ‘Not likely, however are you aware of Yaupon?’ And I stated ‘No, I’m not.’ So for the following 20 or half-hour, he provides me a complete, very fascinating, historical past of the plant masking the cultural, social, and regulatory facets from early American historical past to the current. And after I thanked him, and informed him that was one of the attention-grabbing issues I had realized in a very long time, he stated ‘I might prefer to introduce you to the founding father of an organization I do know who’s making Yaupon Tea.’Â And that was the top of the dialog. Two minutes later I had an e mail introducing me to Abianne Falla of Catspring Yaupon, who I’m now fortunate sufficient to name a good friend. I additionally assume it is also honest to say I’ve develop into a real evangelist for this plant. I’ve to consider that nevertheless the universe works, someway of all of the folks he knew, Michael felt that I uniquely wanted this story and this plant. And he was most likely proper. I can not have a cup of Yaupon tea with out pondering of Michael, and my world is lots higher for each of these issues.”
Michael will probably be missed by everybody who knew him…
Sensible, considerate, tenacious…
“Michaelâs affect on the business has been broad and heâs a real champion, legend and private mentor,” stated Len Monheit, CEO of Trade Transparency Heart. “It was most likely 2000 or 2001 once I first met him, and he instantly got here throughout as sensible, considerate, tenacious and had this wry approach of talking that was on the similar time a lesson and a problem. When he determined to battle, it was recreation on. He was a fantastic accomplice for us at NPIcenter (we constructed the primary NDI submission database collectively) and we additionally shared many a meal, glass or bottle of issues actually distinctive. He will probably be significantly missed.”
A pricey good friend whose door & coronary heart have been at all times open…
AÂ revered pressure within the business…
Rachel Brooker, Requirements Improvement Lead, NSF, shared Michael’s many accomplishments, together with being a founding member of the Joint Committee on Dietary Dietary supplements. “His dedication to cheap laws and proactive self-governance made him a revered pressure within the business,” Brooker stated. “It’s plain that he helped form NSF/ANSI 173 into the excellent normal that it’s at this time and his contributions will proceed to stay on on this normal. Michael’s legacy will proceed to encourage those that knew him and those that profit from his work. All of us at NSF are so grateful to have been capable of work with him. Michael undoubtedly left an enduring affect on our mission and the general public. He will probably be deeply missed by his household, buddies, and colleagues.”
This memoriam will probably be up to date with extra tributes within the coming days. Particulars on plans to have fun Michaelâs life and contributions to the natural business additionally will probably be shared.
