Category: Perspectives

GA 2026 Dr. Sidney Sudberg, D.C. presented some new exciting research he has been investigating for the past 10 years at Alkemist Labs, at the:    74th International Congress and Annual Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research (GA) Jointly with Association Francophone pour l’Enseignement et la Recherche en Pharmacognosie (AFERP) […]

FNIS 2026 Two black eyes. One broken nose. A microphone. 🤘 Apparently, I arrived at the Future Nutra Innovation Summit with the appropriate credentials. When FNIS first hit my radar, my reaction was: “Yay. Another event to squeeze into an already demolished calendar.” Then I showed up. Holy sh#t. Think intimate NBJ Summit with way […]

UNPA Annual Retreat 2026 Nearly 30 years ago, Loren Israelsen walked into our lab—a back room in my father’s chiropractic clinic. He’s been in our corner ever since. An ally. A champion. One of my biggest supporters. A “work dad,” which is quite an accomplishment considering I already worked with my actual dad. This final […]

SoCal Dietary Supplement Consortium (SCDSC) 2026 SoCal Dietary Supplement Consortium (SCDSC) remains one of my (Nick Crowning’s) favorite conferences to attend. For those who don’t know, SCDSC’s unique structure allows FDA to attend, give presentations, and interface directly with industry. This year, FDA presented on the preamble to 21 CFR Part 111, an often overlooked […]

Thoughts on returning from my (Petra’s) first trip to India… With India’s deep history of botanical medicine and its important role in the global botanical supply chain, stretching back to the ancient spice trade routes, I eagerly anticipated the opportunity for my first trip. I came home with new relationships, new perspectives, and a much […]

NBJ Summit 2026: Quality Is Finally Becoming Part of the Story Every year, I leave the NBJ Summit convinced it was the best one yet. Yes, I say that every year. No, I’m not walking it back. This year’s theme—“Differentiation by Design: Science, Strategy and Storytelling”—was especially relevant to a question I have been asking […]

Petra’s East Coast Tour What a week in DC! Between NPA Fly-In Day, the USP Forum, and the first East Coast SoCal Dietary Supplement Consortium event, I managed to fit three impactful events into one trip thanks to all of the schedules aligning perfectly. The conversations, collaborations, and people made the week so memorable. A […]

Petra’s Reflections on 2026 NASC What a joy to be back at the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) Annual Conference. In the great revolving calendar of Alkemist event coverage, I hadn’t won this lotto draw in eight years, with my last NASC appearance back in 2018. Wow, has NASC grown since I’ve been gone. The […]

Elan’s perspective on ASTA 2026 Petra and I recently attended the American Spice Trade Association annual meeting in beautiful Palm Desert, California. Not Coachella, though arguably there were fewer complex aromatics and fewer questionable hats. While Alkemist tests nearly 2,000 plants and fungi, we have not historically played a deep role in the spice trade. […]

Petra’s SANS Recap Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the Sports & Active Nutrition Summit for the first time. I was especially excited to attend given the strong reputation the conference has built over the years. It did not disappoint! SANS expanded this year with a larger venue and increased attendance, creating a […]