Botanical Safety Consortium Joining from the Private Sector

Individual Companies

For private-sector organizations (any for-profit business that is not owned or operated by a government entity), participation in the BSC Stakeholder Council requires an annual sponsorship fee to help support the ongoing activities of the BSC. For private-sector organizations who are not currently HESI Sponsors, an additional fee is required to support HESI Affiliate Sponsorship. Sponsorship fees are based on a company’s worldwide sales using the most recently available year-end figures (all in US Dollars).

*Organizations that are already HESI Sponsors pay a reduced sponsorship fee

Eligibility

The Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI), and the HESI Botanical Safety Consortium (BSC) by extension, is committed to upholding high ethical, scientific, and legal standards.   This includes a commitment to preserving the integrity of the Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institute of Environmental Health (NIEHS), and HESI that serves as the founding basis for the Consortium.  In support of these guidelines and principles, the BSC will not knowingly admit any private company that manufactures or distributes a botanical dietary product for which the FDA has:

  • affirmatively determined the product cannot be sold as a dietary supplement (e., CBD or THC products)
  • warned consumers not to use the product in any form for safety reasons (e.g., Kratom); or
  • banned the product as a dietary supplement (e.g., ephedrine alkaloids)

Trade or Business Associations

Trade associations or other business organizations classified as 501(c)6 entities (per US law) can be members of the BSC Stakeholder Council. An association with ≥ 25 member companies must have at least 2 members who independently support the BSC as members from the private sector to be eligible for membership on the BSC Stakeholder Council. Smaller trade associations (with < 25 members) will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The yearly sponsorship fee for a trade association to join the BSC is $10,000.00. Participation in BSC events is open to staff of member associations but not to representatives of their member companies unless those companies are themselves BSC members.

Red berrys of ephedra distachya