The information was introduced by AHPA, the group he led for 25 years. The affiliation mentioned he “leaves an indelible mark on the pure merchandise business by his steadfast advocacy for affordable laws and proactive self-governance. Past his skilled contributions, he was a trusted mentor, a cherished good friend to many and a pillar of the natural group.
“We are going to deeply miss his humor, his encyclopedic data of the natural business, his clever counsel—and, after all, his knowledgeable tomato-growing abilities. Whereas we mourn his passing, we additionally rejoice his exceptional legacy, which can proceed to form AHPA and the broader business for years to return,” AHPA acknowledged.
Michael McGuffin was born in 1951 in Louisville, KY and joined the natural business in 1974. Previous to becoming a member of AHPA, he owned each retail and manufacturing companies on this discipline.
Throughout his time at AHPA, McGuffin served as a member of FDA’s Meals Advisory Committee Working Group on Good Manufacturing Practices for Dietary Dietary supplements (1998-1999), FDA’s Meals Advisory Committee’s Dietary Dietary supplements Subcommittee (2003-2005), California’s Workplace of Environmental Well being Hazard Evaluation Meals Warning Workgroup (2008-2010) and the Advisory Board of the USC Faculty of Pharmacy Regulatory Science Grasp’s Diploma Program.
Tributes
Roy Upton, president of the American Natural Pharmacopoeia, described McGuffin as a long-time pricey good friend.
“He had one of many sharpest minds of anybody I knew,” he mentioned. “What he knew, he knew very nicely. What he didn’t know, he admitted he didn’t know, and what he wanted to know, he discovered. His moderation of AHPA committee members was at all times masterful, and he was at all times ready for what was to be mentioned. There was no fluff with Michael—by no means any self-aggrandizing. He was at all times targeted on the duty at hand; very a lot resolution oriented. He did his work comparatively quietly and with out fanfare. Getting a job carried out was all of the reward he actually wanted; he didn’t must have his ego stroked so individuals knew how good he actually was.
“As individuals ponder his passing, I consider they are going to mirror on what he really completed and be in awe of the quiet method by which he did it. AHPA has their hero(s) of the 12 months award—Michael has been AHPA’s true hero for 1 / 4 of a century. An unimaginable legacy has been left by an unimaginable human being.”
Mark Blumenthal, founder and govt director of the American Botanical Council, mentioned Michael was “tireless, devoted, passionate and really efficient and infrequently the ‘smartest man within the room’. He was a repository of extensively detailed institutional reminiscence of the herb business in the USA, going again to the times of his personal herb firm within the late Nineteen Seventies and early Nineteen Eighties, when the fledgling business was clearly a lot smaller and far much less complicated and complex than it’s at the moment.
“He was a grasp of key info on a large spectrum of great points mandatory for the success of small, medium-sized and enormous herb companies. He had the flexibility to masterfully cope with each the forest and the bushes: Whereas with the ability to attend to the superb factors and nuances of state and federal regulation, Michael additionally has large strategic imaginative and prescient. His shepherding of AHPA’s management in quite a few key business areas—e.g., widespread names for vegetation in commerce (through AHPA’s Herbs of Commerce books) and his management in establishing credible info for rational and accountable security labeling of herb merchandise (AHPA’s Botanical Security Handbook)—have contributed enormously to accountable practices within the herb commerce and the vibrancy of the natural merchandise business.”
“All firms that promote herbs and botanical substances in the USA owe a debt of gratitude to Michael (and AHPA), and they need to be supporting AHPA and Michael’s work and laudable legacy,” Blumenthal added.
“When the historical past of the herb business within the U.S. is written—50 or maybe 100 years from now—Michael can 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 ABC’s annual Mark Blumenthal Natural Neighborhood Builder Award for his unparalleled efforts in serving to to create a viable and sturdy herb business and prolonged natural group in the USA.
“The U.S. herb business is flying its digital inexperienced flag at half-staff in honor of Michael.”
‘The good present of readability’
Loren Israelsen, founder and president of the United Pure Merchandise Alliance (UNPA), issued an announcement by which he mentioned the Michael McGuffin he knew “delighted in larger math, physics and woman slippers.”
“His views had been clear on issues, as had been the strains of disagreement. (He was of Celtic descent, in spite of everything),” Israelsen wrote. “He had the good present of readability of thought and opinion. His fondness to share a brand new recipe he had been engaged on at all times discovered its means into our enterprise cellphone calls. He admired the eclectic physicians of the previous century who took one of the best concepts and blended them into one thing higher, as a result of he, too, was eclectic.
“Michael’s exceptional reminiscence for element served us nicely when debates about arcane DSHEA historical past arose. Amongst his colleagues, single malt scotch was most popular, however Michael favored a superb Kentucky bourbon. A Pappy Van Winkle would go well with simply superb. His southern roots had been by no means far-off. His assortment of uncommon herbals was extensively admired. It appeared to me their authors had been his chosen mental lineage.
“He walked with equal confidence the halls of Congress, the good herb gardens of the world and his personal quiet paths identified to few of us. And for a great variety of years, our paths joined in trigger and goal. Herbs had been his delight. AHPA was his stewardship. His backyard will miss him, as will I.”
Elan Sudberg, CEO of Alkemist Labs and long-time AHPA member, described McGuffin as, “my good good friend, mentor and Natural Hero… He fought valiantly, however ultimately, most cancers gained, and all of us misplaced an irreplaceable particular person.”
In a publish on LinkedIn, Sudberg wrote: “Our relationship was distinctive. We entered one another’s lives after I was simply 17 years previous, beginning Alkemist Labs and navigating AHPA committee conferences and business specialists with collections of superior levels. Due to this, a father/son dynamic advanced, characterised by limitless studying, powerful love and generally harsh mentorship. I’m the business advocate I’m at the moment, primarily attributable to Michael’s steering.”
Daniel Fabricant, PhD, president and CEO of the Pure Merchandise Affiliation, mentioned McGuffin 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.”
“Michael was a wealth of information, stuffed with ardour, and anybody who had the privilege of working with him knew the depth of his experience, dedication, and dedication to bettering our business,” mentioned Raza Bashir, Chief Innovation Officer, Iovate Well being Sciences Worldwide Inc. “He can be deeply missed by all of us.”
‘A hands-on, detail-oriented advocate’
The Council for Accountable Diet (CRN) issued an announcement that described McGuffin as “not solely a frontrunner but in addition a hands-on, detail-oriented advocate who immersed himself within the intricacies of regulatory language, botanical science and business challenges. His deep experience and meticulous strategy helped set requirements that strengthened the credibility and trustworthiness of the natural merchandise business. Whether or not dissecting coverage nuances or guiding his members on compliance, Michael’s considerate and exact insights had been invaluable. His ardour for natural drugs and dedication to the business go away an everlasting legacy.
“His management, knowledge, and presence can be deeply missed, however his influence will stay on within the vibrant business he helped form.”
NutraChampion
McGuffin was named the 2024 NutraChampion by NutraIngredients-USA editorial group, an award that acknowledged his management, ardour and dedication to the natural business in any respect ranges.
In an acceptance speech delivered through video, McGuffin mentioned: “Lots of you might be conversant in the main points of my skilled arc within the natural business from promoting herbs at retail to manufacturing and advertising and marketing a line of natural extracts to serving as AHPA President since 1999. That is what I do. That is who I’m.”
McGuffin famous that the NutraChampion Award is devoted to the celebration of our business’s largest champions and heroes, those that spend their careers driving new requirements and insurance policies, growing public data and curiosity in diet or pushing for ingredient innovation.
“I hope you’ll all agree with me that many of those factors precisely describe what I do and who I’m,” he mentioned. “I’m not being very humble right here. Frankly, there can be different occasions for humility, however at the moment I’m reminded of a colleague who was in no way receptive after I knowledgeable him final 12 months that he was going to obtain an APHA award. Right here’s what he mentioned to me: I don’t want one other bauble to crowd my mantelpiece. However the NutraChampion Award isn’t a mere bauble. Its recipients make distinctive contributions. That’s what they do, and they’re targeted on these all through their careers. That’s who they turn into.
“I hope by receiving the 2024 NutraChampion Award to encourage any of you who want to obtain this acknowledgement sooner or later and to encourage you to make clear and outline the work that you simply do to do this work in service to the commerce and to the general public. And to take action boldly in order that all of us see that that’s who you might be.”
