22 Apr 2020 --- The restrictions necessitated by COVID-19 have created difficult financial situations across the nutrition industry, including in the US, where 95 percent of natural products businesses have had their small business loans applications rejected. This is according to a Natural Products Association (NPA) survey of its member companies’ experiences with the US Paycheck Protection Program. Established by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program is struggling to distribute funds and putting companies under pressure to remain open. Meanwhile, the nutrition industry continues to push for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to include dietary supplements as a “medical expense.” It says that this would ultimately encourage a proactive, preventive approach to maintaining health and immunity during these turbulent times.
