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CONTENTS Board of Directors and Professional Staff ................................................................. 2 Mission & Vision ....................................................................................................... 4 President’s Message ................................................................................................... 7 Executive Director’s Message ................................................................................... 8 Secretary’s Report .................................................................................................... 11 Treasurer’s Report.................................................................................................... 13 Government Liaison Meeting Report ...................................................................... 16 Communications Report .......................................................................................... 21 NSMA Works to Inform Policy Makers & Provide Regulatory Clarity for Members ................................................................ 23 Membership Report.................................................................................................. 27 NSMA Member Companies .................................................................................... 29 Board of Directors Slate........................................................................................... 30 Building the Future .................................................................................................. 31 NSMA Engagement on Policy Matters ................................................................... 32
Nati o n al Sea so n in g Manu factur er s A sso ciat ion ( N SM A) 2 Patrick Lane, 2nd Floor, Branford, CT USA 06405 | www.seasoningmanufacturers.org | LinkedIn: @NSMA Rob@seasoningmanufacturers.org ● Tel: 646-634-1624 | Gerri@seasoningmanufacturers.org ● Tel: 201-657-1989
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National Seasoning Manufacturers Association, Inc. (NSMA) 2025-2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS President: Vice President: Treasurer: Secretary: Immediate Past President: Past President:
Susan Bergman - Griffith Foods Inc. Wendy Epstein - First Spice Mixing Paul Hargarten - Hawkins Inc. Theresa Dubin - R. L. Schreiber Inc. Christopher Stevenson - McCormick & Co. Inc. Tim Sonntag – Wixon Inc.
DIRECTORS Jill Faulkner - Solina Danielle Dutton – Rocky Mountain Spice Denise Johnson – Newly Weds Foods, LLC Alina Lastra - Badia Spices Inc. Liz Morris - Elite Spice, Inc. Susan Perez – Pacific Spice Co. Associate Member Directors
Peter Losee – Bluegrass Ingredients Aret Meyer – Sensient Natural Ingredients
Executive Director Marketing & Member Services
Robert C. Post, Ph.D., MEd., MSc. Geraldina A. Cristantiello
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MISSION & VISION
The National Seasoning Manufacturers Association, Inc. (NSMA) is the trade association representing the blended seasoning industry. Founded in 1973, NSMA members manufacture and market about 98 percent of the seasonings consumed in the United States. Membership is available to all companies actively engaged in seasoning manufacturing and companies that support the industry with ingredients, packaging, food safety applications, testing, and other services. As an educational and policy-informing organization, the purposes of the Association are to:
Anticipate, interpret and address the technical and regulatory needs of the seasoning industry;
Advocate on behalf of the members to shape, guide, and inform regulatory actions and public food policy dialogues toward improved policies;
Maintain singular focus on solutions to challenges the blended seasoning industry faces;
Encourage the exchange of technical and regulatory expertise among industry peers; and
Promote the safety, quality, and wholesomeness of seasonings and their components used to enhance the quality and appeal of food and beverage products.
Our role is to represent the interests of the seasoning manufacturer sector with food regulatory agencies by providing a practical, science-based voice to inform regulators about issues affecting the industry. We also keep our members updated on all priority issues. Through NSMA representation, face-to-face meetings, and ongoing interactions with HHS/FDA, USDA/FSIS, NIFA, and AMS officials, and other food and health agencies and organizations, as well as legislative officials, we build trust and credibility to advise and shape the rules and policies that govern the industry. We are committed to promoting education within the seasoning industry and for related government officials about laws, regulations, policies, and guidance related to them. We support quality and safety standards and advocate for compliance with acceptable practices for handling and distributing products in the international spice, blended seasonings, and seasoning-containing products industries. 2025-2026 ANNUAL REPORT
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MISSION & VISION– (cont’d.)
NSMA works to continually improve the quality and safety of incoming spices and other functional ingredients. For its members, it also addresses issues related to imported ground spices and the quality, safety, wholesomeness, and accurate labeling of seasoning blends. These blends include spices as just one component among many functional ingredients used in various products for sensory, functional, safety, and health benefits. The NSMA Executive Director aims to keep our Officers, Board of Directors, and most importantly, all members, informed about emerging and real-time food regulation and policy issues that challenge member companies; create sector confusion regarding compliance, supply chains, procurement, and operations; and require communication to promote better or improved policies through meetings, gatherings, and engagement with policymakers, scientists, and other trade groups. Using insights and intelligence, the goal is for members to have the information their companies need to meet regulatory, customer, and consumer demands in the marketplace.
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MISSION & VISION– (cont’d.) The key food policy and scientific issues (not necessarily listed by priority) of interest to NSMA and its members are: • • •
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Food and Ingredient Labeling Criteria for Ingredient/Ingredient Technology Approval/Acceptance by Federal Agencies Changes in Federal Processes for Food Ingredient Reviews, Notifications, and Approvals, Including GRAS Notification, Food Contact Substances and Packaging Notifications, and Color Additives FDA Post-Market Safety Assessments of Food Chemicals Contaminants, such as Heavy Metals and PFAs GMO/Bioengineered Ingredients – Safety, National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, and Other Aspects of BE Product and Ingredient Labeling Allergens – Updated Federal and International Policies and Trade Standards and Guidelines (e.g., Codex), New and Emerging Allergens (Including Sesame) Bioterrorism and Biodefense Plans Guiding Principles for Modernizing Food Standards of Identity – HHS/FDA and USDA/FSIS Codex Alimentarius and Other Global Trade Standards and Guidelines The Legislative and Regulatory Policy Landscapes and Liaisons for Informing Policies Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011, e.g., Process Validation Guidance for Process Categories, and Preventive Controls Emerging Issues in Risks Posed by Contaminants, Including Heavy Metals, Pesticides, Pathogens, and Other Potential Environmental Foreign Matter; and Related Quality, Safety Specifications and Necessary Food Testing Methods and Capabilities to Support Safe Products in the Market Supply Chain Management: Traceability, Data-Sharing Platforms/ERP The Status of Nutrition and Health Science Relative to Seasonings and the Foods to Which They Are Added, and in Support of Federal Dietary Guidance Understanding and Informing Policy Issues in the MAHA Agenda
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Message from the President Susan Bergman-Drennen, Griffith Foods
Welcome to the 53rd year of the National Seasoning Manufactures Association! It has been both an honor and a privilege to serve as president for the past year. As the regulatory and quality landscape continues to evolve, with increasing complexity, standards, and industry expectations, we are fortunate to have an incredible Board of Directors as well engaged members to assist with next actions and response. We continue to strive to strengthen our voice with government agencies, support each other, and advance the interests of our industry. This year has continued to bring new challenges and opportunities. While we cannot predict what the future entails, NSMA is one step ahead to understand impact and respond proactively in support of our customers, our companies, and the industry as a whole. We have many individuals to thank for our continued success, including Dr. Robert Post, our Executive Director. Rob’s engagement with regulators and his regular “News You Can Use” Newsletter provides our membership with insight into how the regulatory landscape is evolving. While recent changes made within the USDA and FDA have limited our ability to create a direct opportunity for members to engage directly with regulators, we remain committed to restoring the valuable agency interaction the Government Liaison Meeting provides. We are here to support in any way possible to all NSMA members. Our association continues to maintain active membership with 53 companies, representing approximately 98% of the seasoning industry. Continued membership growth reflects value of NSMA’s role in serving as a voice for policy issues, which helps our members’ businesses meet the challenges that our members are facing daily. As a registered non-profit educational organization, we remain committed to working mindfully within our membership-funded budget while looking for ways to improve the value the Association provides. Lessons we have learned throughout the year enable us to continuously evaluate and adapt to an ever-changing policy and member service landscape. Given all that we have accomplished, I am confident that NSMA will continue to evolve, grow, and remain inclusive as we move into the next year. I would like to thank each and every member’s involvement with the National Seasoning Manufacturers Association. The best is yet to come - and life is better well-seasoned!
Susan C. Bergman-Drennen, Griffith Foods NSMA President 2025-2026 2025-2026 ANNUAL REPORT
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A Message from the Executive Director Robert C. Post, Ph.D.
This Annual Report celebrates another successful year for the National Seasoning Manufacturers Association (NSMA), now in its 53rd year of advancing sound food science, regulatory policy, and public health while serving as the leading voice for the U.S. seasoning industry. It has been a year of strengthening relationships with an outstanding membership, working closely with an engaged President and Board of Directors, and representing members as the food policy landscape experienced one of its most significant periods of change in decades. The pace of federal food policy development accelerated dramatically during the past year. The restructuring of FDA's Human Foods Program, implementation of the Administration's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda, increasing state food policy initiatives, modernization of food chemical safety oversight, evolving nutrition policy, supply chain challenges, allergen management, contaminant regulation, and international standards activities all created an increasingly complex operating environment for food manufacturers. Against this backdrop, NSMA remained actively engaged—not simply monitoring developments but also participating in many of the discussions that help shape future policy. One of my highest priorities as Executive Director is to ensure that NSMA remains well positioned to anticipate emerging regulatory developments before they become regulatory requirements. This requires continuous engagement with senior federal policymakers, political leadership, career executives, scientific experts, and allied food industry organizations. Throughout the year, I maintained regular dialogue with senior officials throughout HHS, FDA's Human Foods Program, USDA, the White House, Congress, and other federal agencies, providing members with early insight into developing policies, emerging scientific issues, implementation priorities, and opportunities for constructive industry engagement. This leadership was reflected in NSMA's highly successful 2026 Government Liaison Meeting, where senior officials from FDA's Human Foods Program, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Government Liaison Meeting, College Park, MD - May 2026 USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, the International Food Information Council, and the Food Industry Codex Coalition provided members with first-hand perspectives on the Administration's food safety, nutrition, ingredient, labeling, microbiological food safety, food chemical safety, and international standards priorities. The meeting once again demonstrated NSMA's reputation as a respected forum where members can engage directly with the federal officials responsible for implementing many of the policies that affect their businesses. 2025-2026 ANNUAL REPORT
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A Message From the Executive Director – (cont’d.) Robert C. Post, Ph.D. Keeping members informed remained one of the Association's highest priorities. Considerable time and effort continued to be devoted to our exclusive "NSMA News You Can Use" policy intelligence updates, distributed through the Members-Only NSMA Technical Forum. These biweekly comprehensive reports have evolved into a valuable regulatory intelligence resource that tracks not only agency actions but also the scientific, legislative, judicial, and international developments that increasingly influence federal policymaking. This year's updates covered an exceptionally broad range of emerging issues, including implementation of the MAHA agenda; restructuring of FDA's Human Foods Program; post-market food chemical safety assessments; GRAS modernization; contaminants, including heavy metals, PFAS, and other emerging chemical hazards; food safety modernization; preventive controls and validation guidance; Ready-to-Eat food policies; allergen management; ingredient innovation; nutrition labeling modernization; front-of-package labeling; "healthy" claims; dietary guidelines; supply chain developments; traceability; e-commerce; FSMA implementation; EPA and international regulatory actions; Codex Alimentarius developments; Office of Management and Budget regulatory reviews; Congressional legislation; scientific consensus reports; and important consumer research affecting public policy discussions. The value of these updates continues to be reinforced through regular feedback from members, who consistently identify News You Can Use as one of the Association's most valuable member benefits. Each edition includes direct links to agency documents, scientific reports, regulatory dockets, public meetings, and other primary resources, creating an expanding library of regulatory intelligence available through the Members-Only Technical Forum. Beyond written communications, NSMA maintained a strong presence throughout the year at federal, national, and international meetings where food policy is actively being developed. On behalf of the Association, I participated in meetings involving FDA, USDA, HHS, Congress, the White House, the U.S. Codex Office, Codex Alimentarius committees, international organizations, and numerous scientific and professional societies. These engagements provided opportunities not only to represent the interests of seasoning manufacturers but also to develop relationships with policymakers, exchange technical perspectives, and advocate for practical, science-based approaches to emerging regulatory issues. A particularly valuable component of this outreach has been NSMA's active participation in the Food and Beverage Issue Alliance (FBIA). Through this coalition of food and beverage trade association executives, NSMA has participated in numerous meetings with federal policymakers and agency leadership involving active dialogue on the food industry's most pressing regulatory challenges. These discussions have enabled NSMA to contribute practical scientific perspectives, identify opportunities for collaboration, encourage balanced regulatory approaches, and promote mutually beneficial solutions on issues affecting seasoning manufacturers and the broader food sector. FBIA has become an important forum for exchanging information, coordinating industry positions where appropriate, and fostering constructive relationships with FDA, USDA, and other federal agencies on issues ranging from food chemical safety, contaminants, and analytical methods to food labeling, dietary guidance, traceability, supply chain resilience, import safety, and innovation. An equally important responsibility is ensuring that NSMA members have access to the nation's foremost scientific experts. During the year, the Association continued to expand its educational programming by bringing nationally recognized authorities directly to our membership. 2025-2026 ANNUAL REPORT
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A Message From the Executive Director – (cont’d.) Robert C. Post, Ph.D. Most notably, NSMA welcomed Dr. Joseph Baumert, Director of the Food Allergy Research & Resource Program (FARRP) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, to present "Using Allergen Thresholds and Reference Doses for Risk-Based Decision Making: Current U.S. and International Perspectives and Future Directions." His presentation represents an authoritative review of one of today's most important emerging food safety and regulatory science issues, particularly as FDA, Codex, and other international organizations continue evaluating future approaches to allergen risk assessment and precautionary labeling. As the policy environment becomes increasingly dynamic, NSMA's role as a trusted source of regulatory intelligence, scientific analysis, and constructive engagement with policymakers becomes even more valuable. Looking ahead, we will continue expanding members-only educational resources, webinars, technical guidance documents, and policy updates while strengthening opportunities for direct interaction with federal officials, scientific leaders, and other recognized experts. Working alongside our dedicated President, Board of Directors, committee leadership, and engaged membership has been both professionally rewarding and personally gratifying. I remain committed to ensuring that NSMA continues to provide timely information, thoughtful analysis, and effective representation so that our members are well prepared to navigate an increasingly complex regulatory environment while continuing to innovate and serve customers and consumers with confidence. Thank you for your continued confidence, participation, and support. I look forward to working together as we build upon another successful year for NSMA.
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Secretary’s Report Theresa Dubin, R.L. Schreiber, Inc.
Since our last Annual Meeting in July 2025, the Board of Directors met multiple times over Zoom and in person. The following summarizes the purpose of and decisions made at those meetings. At the first meeting immediately after the Annual meeting, we acknowledged the new Officers to the Board of Directors: • President Susan Bergman-Drennen, Griffith Foods Inc. (previous Vice President) • Vice President Wendy Epstein, First Spice Mixing Co., Inc. • Secretary Theresa Dubin, R.L. Schreiber, Inc. Paul Hargarten, Hawkins has continued as Treasurer. We thanked our Immediate Past President Chris Stevenson, McCormick & Company; and Immediate Past Secretary Kerri Goad Berrios, Kalyustan. Additionally, we acknowledged our new Board Member Jill Faulkner, Solina, who was appointed to fill the vacant position of Danelle Boehme. Thank you to our 53 active members and growing! Happenings throughout the year • The Board has met four times in the last year (7/15/25, 11/10/25, 1/21/26, & 5/27/26) both virtually and in-person to discuss various issues and action items. • NSMA has continued its membership with the Food & Beverage Issue Alliance (FBIA). • NSMA’s Executive Director continues important work on FBIA’s steering committee. • NSMA has signed onto 13 comment letters primarily drafted by FBIA. (Example: FDA and USDA’s Request for Information RFI on Ultra-Processed Foods UPFs). • NSMA Members have received 24 editions plus Ad Hoc Policy updates of the NSMA News You Can Use newsletter throughout the year managed by NSMA’s Executive Director. • NSMA hosted its annual Government Liaison Meeting in College Park, Maryland on May 28, 2026, featuring updates from HHS/FDA and USDA Officials on current policy actions and issues affecting the seasoning and flavoring industries. Presentations and minutes from this meeting can be found on NSMA member-only webpage under resources. • Members continue to receive support through NSMA’s Technical Forum. • Gerri Cristantiello, NSMA Marketing & Member Services, has actively worked throughout the year on membership outreach, researching various website and email platforms, exploring alternative marketing avenues and conferences, and organizing events.
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Secretary’s Report– (cont’d.) •
NSMA’s Executive Director attended different events throughout the year to engage with federal agencies on behalf of our association’s items of interest (Not all-inclusive): o Attended meeting with The International Food Additives Council (IFAC) and OMB on GRAS Reform proposed rule. o Received invitation and attended the MAHA Commission meeting where Commission members released the “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy”. o Received invitation directly from the HHS Secretary's External Engagement Director to an "HHS Policy Celebration" event in Washington, DC. Received the invitation as the Executive Director of NSMA, and as the Principal of his regulatory consulting firm. o Although there was a scheduling conflict, Rob was also invited to the Dietary Guidelines Implementation Rally by RFK's office and his Chief of Staff. o Our Director of NSMA continues to receive invites, which allows him to continue important engagement.
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Survey submitted to NSMA members on Educational Webinars and Short-Course Interest. There were 26 responses, representing 19 companies.
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NSMA member Deibel Laboratories offered NSMA members a special $200.00 discount on FSPCA Foreign Supplier Verification Program training. It was a virtual 3-day course held on March 25-27, 2026.
Action items in the Pipeline 1. Offer additional educational webinars and a short course. 2. Refresh Website and Email Platform. 3. Addition of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to NSMA website. 4. Exploring additional conferences to host annual meeting. Look for survey to NSMA members. 5. Exploring new initiatives that will increase NSMA’s industry presence and provide additional value to members. 6. Exploring NSMA joining different coalitions (Ex: The Coalition for Food Additive Reform, Americans for Ingredients Transparency, etc.). Thank you to both Executive Director, Dr. Robert Post and Marketing & Member Services Manager Geraldina Cristantiello for all their hard work each year. It is greatly appreciated.
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NSMA Treasurer’s Report, July 2026 Reflecting Calendar/NSMA Fiscal Year 2025 Paul Hargarten, Hawkins, Inc. (Treasurer) & Robert C. Post, Ph.D., Executive Director (Bookkeeper) Now in its 53rd year, NSMA has continued to grow since its founding in 1973, with 53 active member companies today and more than 170 individuals listed as contacts in the NSMA Technical Forum. Company representation accounts for about 98 percent of the seasoning blenders in the U.S., with a combined worldwide marketplace presence across all channels—food service, retail, B2B, and ecommerce (D2C, etc.). Income has risen as membership has expanded. Even so, the annual dues NSMA charges are modest compared to other trade groups and, more importantly, given the value of access to timely insights on current and emerging food policy and trade issues, a resource library, and opportunities to network and seek advice from industry peers. Other trade groups charge 10 times what NSMA charges for dues, often offering similar or fewer services, or only policy-issue monitoring. Therefore, in terms of value for dues paid, NSMA stands out as a highly cost-effective and successful organization. After all, NSMA has been the only national trade association registered as an educational organization to inform policy, monitor the food and nutrition regulatory landscape for members, track today’s issues, and anticipate tomorrow’s policies. As a registered nonprofit educational organization (501(c)(3)), NSMA faces limitations in how it can generate income. It is bound to apply its income in ways that serve the members; it does not own property or invest, which may distract from the value proposition for members. Therefore, membership dues have always been a primary source of revenue. In 2025, NSMA member dues income was about $71,000. In addition, the 2024 sponsorship induction for that year’s NSMA Annual Meeting generated additional income, some of which offset the expenses of member-focused meetings. From a finance accounting standpoint, NSMA bookkeeping is not at all comprehensive. It is similar to a checkbook register involving a cash-basis accounting method. As a non-profit, NSMA has no investments or losses to report, nor does it rent space, pay for equipment, or need to project budget needs to maintain contingency funds for facility or equipment maintenance or services. NSMA receives member dues income, which is added to sponsorship income and recorded as “income.” It has administrative expenses for meetings and operating expenses for management, communications, and reporting, which are simply deducted from the NSMA checking account register and recorded as “expenses.” For 2025, from January 1 to December 31, 2025, most funds were spent on costs associated with the in-person NSMA Networking Event, Annual Meeting and Board Meeting held in Chicago in July 2025. In 2025 due to delays in the new Administration establishing its federal food and nutrition policy agenda—the MAHA Agenda— NSMA did not convene its Annual Government Liaison Committee meeting; instead it invested in travel for the Executive Director to engage with federal policy makers in person as part of FBIA meetings, White House and Departmental (e.g., HHS and USDA) events to which he was personally invited, and attendance at other convenings of policy-oriented organizations at which he spoke on behalf of NSMA. In all these, the travel was worth the expense for the opportunity to gather intel and insights, which were transmitted in real time to members via the NSMA News You Can Use and timely notifications via the NSMA Technical Forum.
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NSMA Treasurer’s Report for Fiscal Year 2025 – (cont’d.) Paul Hargarten, Hawkins, Inc. (Treasurer) & Robert C. Post, Ph.D., Executive Director (Bookkeeper) Expenses for the NSMA networking event, the Annual Meeting Program, and the Board meeting in July 2025 included meeting venue rooms and amenities, audiovisual equipment, food, printing and signage, and swag, totaling roughly $16,000. In addition, travel and registration costs for NSMA management staff attending the Annual Meeting and other events totaled about $3,500. The next-largest expense was fees paid to NSMA management by the Executive Director, with support from the Marketing and Member Services Manager, totaling about $50,000. NSMA also pays membership dues, e.g., to the Food and Beverage Issue Alliance (FBIA), which were $3,500 in 2025. Overall, administrative expenses for website and communications platforms, business registrations, mailings, etc., amounted to about $500. In 2025, total expenses were about the same as income; similar to past years. Still, the organization maintained a healthy bank balance that was roughly equal to its income, without resorting to its savings for any purpose other than providing services to members. Looking to the end of 2026, the financial picture for NSMA looks satisfactory. Member dues income will cover all expenses. Investments to enhance the NSMA website and other administrative functions, should the Board of Directors approve them, will be covered by income and, likely, by some of the conserved NSMA funds in savings. The Treasurer’s Report of NSMA finances for FY 2025 is shown on the next page.
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NSMA Treasurer’s Report for Fiscal Year 2025 – (cont’d.) Paul Hargarten, Hawkins, Inc. (Treasurer) & Robert C. Post, Ph.D., Executive Director (Bookkeeper)
January 01 - December 31, 2025: Income and Expenses Income: $ 71,645.75* Member Dues, January 01 – December 31, 2025 Sponsorships (9 Sponsorships, 3 Product Highlights) – Annual $ 6,720.00 Meeting Total $ 78,374.75 Income Expenses - From January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025 Includes: • Fees for management services (FoodTrition Solutions, LLC, GC Business Services, LLC) • Annual business reporting, website/domains/email services, dues collection services • Travel and conference registrations for Executive Director and Marketing and Member Services Manager • Travel and travel-related costs for marketing & member services management • NSMA annual meeting venues, equipment, food, speaker registrations • 2025 dues for organizations Total Expenses 2025 $ 78,947.81 Assets: Bank Account Balance as of December 31, 2025 *
$ 78,209.06
Total Members: 53 as of January 01, 2026
Respectively Submitted to the Treasurer, Paul Hargarten, Hawkins Robert C. Post, Executive Director, NSMA
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Government Liaison Committee (GLC) Meeting Report Robert C. Post, Ph.D., Executive Director
Highlights of the 2026 NSMA Government Liaison Meeting May 28, 2026 • Marriott Conference Center • College Park (Washington, DC) Robert C. Post, Ph.D., Executive Director The National Seasoning Manufacturers Association (NSMA) continued one of its signature member services for members by convening its Annual Government Liaison Meeting on May 28, 2026, in College Park, Maryland. The meeting attracted an excellent representation of member companies and invited guests who gathered to hear directly from senior officials of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Human Foods Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the International Food Information Council (IFIC), and the Food Industry Codex Coalition. As the food and nutrition policy environment continues to evolve rapidly, the meeting provided members with an exceptional opportunity to engage with the officials responsible for developing and implementing many of the nation's most significant food safety, food labeling, nutrition, ingredients, and international trade policies. Throughout the day, presenters shared current priorities, emerging regulatory initiatives, implementation timelines, and long-range policy directions that will influence the operating environment for seasoning manufacturers and the broader food industry during 2026 and beyond.
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Government Liaison Committee Meeting Report - (cont’d) Program Highlights USDA – National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Dr. Sheila Fleischhacker – National science priorities, food safety research, scientific partnerships, workforce development, and research initiatives supporting the future of the U.S. food system. HHS/FDA Human Foods Program Dr. Conrad Choiniere – Administration food policy priorities, Human Foods Program implementation, microbiological food safety, prevention strategies, inspections, food traceability, regulatory science, and modernization of food safety oversight. USDA – Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Rosalyn Murphy-Jenkins and Monique Pichon – Food labeling policy, technology evaluation, inspection modernization, product claims, nutrition labeling, and pending regulatory actions affecting meat and poultry products. USDA – Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) Dr. Eve Stoody – Implementation of the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, federal nutrition assistance programs, RealFood.gov, MyPlate modernization, and nutrition policy priorities. International Food Information Council (IFIC) Kris Solid – National consumer research on food, nutrition, health, food safety, and public perceptions affecting industry communications. HHS/FDA Human Foods Program Dr. Robin McKinnon – Nutrition policy, food labeling modernization, sodium reduction, frontof-package labeling, highly processed foods, allergen thresholds, and the NIH-FDA Nutrition Regulatory Science Initiative. HHS/FDA Human Foods Program Dr. Mark Hartman – Food chemical safety, GRAS modernization, post-market ingredient assessments, contaminants, color additives, food innovation, and state food policy developments. Food Industry Codex Coalition (FICC) Nick Gardner (U.S. Dairy Export Council and Lead for the FICC) – Codex Alimentarius activities, international food standards, global ingredient and labeling policy, contaminants, methods of analysis, and developments affecting international trade.
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Government Liaison Committee Meeting Report - (cont’d) The presentations collectively demonstrated the breadth of transformation currently underway across the federal food regulatory system. FDA officials emphasized that the Human Foods Program has entered an implementation phase of the MAHA Agenda focused on prevention, risk management, scientific transparency, and modernization of regulatory oversight. Members received valuable updates on microbiological food safety initiatives, food traceability implementation, the agency's evolving prevention-based approach to inspections, expanded postmarket review of food chemicals, modernization of the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) framework, contaminant reduction initiatives, and continuing efforts to strengthen collaboration with the National Institutes of Health on nutrition regulatory science. Nutrition policy discussions highlighted the implementation of the revised Dietary Guidelines for Americans, forthcoming changes across major federal nutrition assistance programs, development of the RealFood.gov initiative, and FDA's ongoing work related to front-of-package labeling, sodium reduction, nutrition claims, allergen threshold policy, and development of a science-based framework for highly processed and ultra-processed foods. Officials acknowledged the complexity of these issues and emphasized the importance of evidence-based regulatory approaches supported by robust scientific research.
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Government Liaison Committee Meeting Report - (cont’d) USDA officials provided members with timely updates on FSIS labeling modernization, inspection and technology evaluation activities, and implementation of federal nutrition policy across school meals, WIC, SNAP, military feeding programs, and other federal nutrition assistance programs. Their presentations illustrated the increasing coordination among USDA, FDA, NIH, and other federal agencies as nutrition policy becomes more integrated across government. A luncheon presentation by IFIC offered members current national consumer research examining public attitudes toward nutrition, food safety, food processing, labeling, and confidence in food science. These findings provided important context for understanding how evolving consumer perceptions increasingly influence public policy discussions and marketplace expectations. The meeting concluded with an international perspective on Codex Alimentarius and related global food standards activities. Members received updates on international developments involving ingredient safety, food labeling, contaminants, nutrition, methods of analysis, and other standards that increasingly shape global food commerce and regulatory harmonization. The 2026 Government Liaison Meeting once again demonstrated NSMA's unique ability to bring together top senior government policymakers, scientific leaders, and industry representatives for substantive dialogue on issues of strategic importance to the seasoning industry. Participants left with a deeper understanding of the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, greater insight into forthcoming federal priorities and deliverables, and enhanced appreciation of the importance of proactive industry engagement as major food safety, nutrition, ingredient, labeling, and international standards initiatives continue to develop. The meeting further reinforced NSMA's longstanding commitment to serving as a trusted forum for informed discussion of the scientific and regulatory issues affecting its members and the food industry as a whole. (Postscript: The success of the annual Government Liaison Meeting is due to the combined efforts of the Executive Director; the Membership and Marketing Services Manager, Gerri Cristantiello; input from the President and Board of Directors; participation by NSMA members; and, of course, the collegial and receptive speakers.)
Pictured are the attendees at the Government Liaison Meeting May 2026
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Photos from Government Liaison Meeting, Washington, DC | May 28, 2026
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Communications Report Geraldina A. Cristantiello, Marketing & Member Services
Communication remains one of NSMA's most important benefits. Throughout the past year, our focus has been on strengthening the way we connect with members, improving our digital presence, expanding opportunities for engagement, and ensuring that NSMA continues to be recognized as a trusted resource for the seasoning industry. Strengthening Member Engagement Whether through industry events, Board meetings, member outreach, or one-on-one conversations, our goal has remained the same: to keep members informed while fostering meaningful connections across our Association. Throughout the year, I continued meeting with members and prospective members at industry events and trade shows to better understand the issues affecting their businesses and the resources they value most. These conversations provide invaluable feedback that helps shape our communications, membership outreach, and future programming. Our annual Social Gathering event continues to be a valuable networking opportunity. Following the positive response to last year's introduction of the Products & Services Spotlight Tabletops, we are continuing this format to provide Associate Members with an informal and highly visible opportunity to showcase their products and services while encouraging conversations and relationship building among attendees. Enhancing NSMA's Digital Presence One of the Association's most significant initiatives this year has been the modernization of our digital communications. Following approval by the Board of Directors, we are currently in the process of redesigning the NSMA website and migrating it to a new platform that will provide a more contemporary appearance, improved navigation, enhanced mobile responsiveness, and greater flexibility for future growth. The redesigned website will better showcase the Association, improve access to member resources, and provide a stronger foundation for future capabilities such as online event registration, expanded member services, educational resources, and merchandise sales. While the project is still underway, it represents an important investment in the future of NSMA and our ability to communicate effectively with both members and prospective members.
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Communications Report - (cont’d) Geraldina A. Cristantiello, Marketing & Member Services In conjunction with the website project, we are also transitioning our email platform to Google Workspace, improving the reliability and consistency of Association communications while providing a more efficient administrative platform. Keeping Members Connected NSMA continues to communicate through multiple channels designed to keep members informed throughout the year. Our News You Can Use newsletter remains one of our most valued member benefits, delivering timely information on regulatory developments, food safety, scientific research, and issues impacting the seasoning industry. The NSMA Technical Forum continues to serve as an active members-only discussion group where technical, regulatory, and quality professionals exchange ideas, ask questions, and share industry knowledge with colleagues across the membership. We also continue to explore ways to strengthen NSMA's presence on LinkedIn and Facebook. As we expand our digital communications, these platforms will provide additional opportunities to share Association news, promote events, recognize member engagement, and increase awareness of NSMA within the food industry. Looking Forward As communications continue to evolve, so do the opportunities to provide additional value to our members. Based on feedback from our recent membership survey, there is strong interest in educational webinars and professional development opportunities. We look forward to working with the Board to expand educational programming that supports the needs of our membership. We are also exploring new initiatives that strengthen NSMA's industry presence and provide additional value to our members. As opportunities emerge, our focus will remain on identifying innovative ways to expand member engagement, strengthen industry connections, and reinforce NSMA’s role as the only trade association dedicated exclusively to the seasoning industry. Looking ahead, our communications strategy will continue to focus on improving member engagement, strengthening our digital presence, expanding educational opportunities, and creating new ways for members to connect with one another throughout the year. Thank you for your continued participation, engagement, and support of NSMA. Together, we will continue strengthening our communications, fostering meaningful industry connections, and creating new opportunities that add value to membership. I look forward to another successful year as we continue to grow our well-seasoned community.
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NSMA Works to Inform Policy Makers and Provide Regulatory Clarity for Members Looking Ahead: Emerging Policy Priorities for 2026-2027 and Beyond Robert C. Post, PhD., Executive Director
The regulatory and public policy environment affecting seasoning manufacturers continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace. Scientific advances, changing consumer expectations, new Administration priorities, global supply chain pressures, and increasing state-level regulatory activity are reshaping how foods, ingredients, contaminants, food chemicals, nutrition, labeling, and food safety are evaluated and regulated. Helping members successfully navigate this increasingly complex environment remains one of NSMA's highest priorities. Through the Executive Director's ongoing engagement with senior political leaders, career executives, scientific experts, and policymakers throughout HHS, FDA's Human Foods Program, USDA, the White House, Congress, Codex Alimentarius, and other domestic and international organizations, NSMA remains well positioned to anticipate emerging policy developments before they become regulatory requirements. These continuing interactions enable the Association to seek clarification of agency intent, provide practical perspectives on issues affecting seasoning manufacturers, identify opportunities for constructive collaboration, and keep members informed of significant developments as they unfold. Rather than simply reacting to regulations after publication, NSMA strives to help members understand the direction of federal food policy, the scientific foundations supporting policy development, anticipated implementation timelines, and the practical implications for manufacturing, sourcing, quality systems, product development, labeling, imports, exports, and customer expectations.
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NSMA Works to Inform Policymakers and Provide Regulatory Clarity for Members: Highlights – (cont’d.) Robert C. Post, PhD., Executive Director Among the major policy and regulatory matters on which members sought guidance—and that will continue shaping the regulatory landscape during 2026–2027—are: • Modernization of FDA's Human Foods Program and implementation of the Administration's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) food and nutrition priorities. • FDA priorities for microbiological food safety, preventive controls, validation, Ready-toEat food policies, environmental monitoring, traceability, and inspection modernization. • Modernization of FDA's post-market food chemical safety assessment program, including prioritization of chemicals for review, transparency initiatives, and stakeholder engagement. • Potential reforms affecting food additives, color additives, food contact substances, GRAS notifications, self-GRAS determinations, and ingredient innovation. • Expansion of FDA's Closer to Zero initiative and increasing regulatory attention on heavy metals, PFAS, microplastics, pesticide residues, processing contaminants, and other emerging chemical hazards. • Evolving federal and state policies regarding food ingredients, contaminants, color additives, botanical ingredients, dietary ingredients, and emerging ingredient technologies. • Nutrition policy developments, including front-of-package labeling, "Healthy" claims, sodium reduction initiatives, nutrient-content claims, online food labeling, and implementation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. • Development of science-based approaches to defining and evaluating "highly processed" and "ultra-processed" foods and their potential implications for labeling, nutrition policy, and consumer communications. • Emerging allergen policies, including allergen thresholds, reference doses, precautionary allergen labeling, analytical methods, and international harmonization efforts. • FDA guidance development, regulatory implementation timelines, enforcement priorities, and opportunities for stakeholder participation throughout the rulemaking process. • USDA-FSIS jurisdictional determinations, product amenability, labeling requirements, and inspection issues affecting seasoning manufacturers supplying meat and poultry processors. • Supply chain resilience, ingredient sourcing, transportation, packaging materials, substitutions, and the regulatory implications of changing suppliers or formulations. • Import and export requirements, including foreign supplier verification, Codex standards, international contaminant limits, ethylene oxide, irradiation, and global food safety expectations. • Bioengineered food disclosure requirements, e-commerce labeling, digital commerce, traceability technologies, and evolving customer information requirements. • Classification of dried vegetables and other ingredients, hazard analyses, preventive controls, and science-based approaches to Ready-to-Eat determinations Collectively, these issues illustrate the increasingly interconnected nature of food policy. Food safety, nutrition, food chemicals, environmental contaminants, labeling, regulatory science, public health, international trade, and consumer communications are no longer advancing independently. Instead, they are converging into a coordinated policy framework that requires manufacturers to understand not only individual regulations but also the broader direction of federal policy. 2025-2026 ANNUAL REPORT
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NSMA Works to Inform Policymakers and Provide Regulatory Clarity for Members: Highlights – (cont’d.) Robert C. Post, PhD., Executive Director To help members stay ahead of these developments, NSMA continually monitors proposed legislation, agency rulemaking, guidance documents, scientific assessments, public meetings, advisory committee activities, Office of Management and Budget reviews, and Codex deliberations. The Executive Director regularly participates in federal roundtables, technical workshops, scientific conferences, stakeholder meetings, and policy convenings to obtain timely information directly from agency leadership and subject matter experts.
An important component of this engagement is NSMA's participation in the Food and Beverage Issue Alliance (FBIA), where the Executive Director joins other national food association leaders in ongoing dialogue with FDA, USDA, HHS, and Congressional staff. Through these discussions, NSMA contributes practical regulatory science perspectives, identifies opportunities for collaboration, encourages balanced, risk-based policy approaches, and helps develop constructive solutions to many of the challenges confronting seasoning manufacturers and the broader food industry.
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NSMA Works to Inform Policymakers and Provide Regulatory Clarity for Members: Highlights – (cont’d.) Robert C. Post, PhD., Executive Director FDA's expanding guidance agenda remains a particularly valuable indicator of future regulatory priorities. Although guidance documents generally do not establish legally enforceable requirements, they provide important insight into current agency thinking and often signal the direction of future policy, inspection emphasis, and enforcement activities. Because agency priorities continue to evolve in response to emerging science, public health events, and Administration initiatives, NSMA will continue actively engaging with FDA, USDA, Codex, and other policymakers to seek clarification, communicate member perspectives, and ensure that timely regulatory intelligence is shared with the membership through News You Can Use, the Members-Only Technical Forum, webinars, technical presentations, and future Government Liaison Meetings. Looking ahead, NSMA remains committed to helping members anticipate change rather than simply react to it—providing the regulatory intelligence, scientific perspective, and policy engagement needed to support informed business decisions in an increasingly dynamic regulatory environment.
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Membership Report Geraldina A. Cristantiello, Marketing & Member Services NSMA membership continues to represent a strong and diverse community of companies supporting the seasoning industry. While membership levels naturally fluctuate from year to year due to changes in business priorities, mergers and acquisitions, and other industry factors, NSMA continues to maintain a strong foundation of engaged Voting and Associate Members. Membership Overview As of the 2026 Annual Meeting, NSMA has 53 active members, consisting of: • 37 Voting Members • 16 Associate Members NSMA membership is company-based, with membership benefits extending to employees throughout each member organization. This structure allows professionals across technical, regulatory, quality, operations, and business functions to participate in the resources and opportunities offered through the Association. The chart below illustrates NSMA's membership growth over time. Since 2014–2015, NSMA membership has more than doubled, growing from 26 members to 53 members in 2025–2026. During this period, the Association has also experienced significant growth in Associate Membership, expanding from 2 Associate Members to 16 Associate Members.
NSMA MEMBERSHIP A S OF J UNE 30, 2026 ASSOCIATE
NSMA Membership
2
5
16
24
26
37
38
43
53
VOTING
2014-'15
2019-'20
2025-2026
Membership Changes During the past year, NSMA welcomed the following new member: Voting Member: Deli Food Chili & Spice We are pleased to welcome Deli Food Chili & Spice to NSMA and look forward to their participation and engagement within the Association.
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Membership Report – (cont’d.) Geraldina A. Cristantiello, Marketing & Member Services During the year, several companies made the decision to discontinue their membership. Membership changes are a normal part of maintaining an active association, and NSMA continues to focus on strengthening relationships with current members while identifying opportunities for future growth. Membership Outreach and Retention Maintaining strong communication with our members remains a priority. Throughout the year, efforts continued to ensure that member information remains current, contacts are up to date, and companies are aware of the resources and benefits available through NSMA. Membership outreach includes ongoing communication with member contacts, maintaining the membership directory, and encouraging greater participation in NSMA programs, meetings, and networking opportunities. As the Association continues to evolve, we remain focused on understanding member needs and providing meaningful opportunities that support engagement and demonstrate the value of NSMA membership. Associate Member Engagement Associate Members continue to be an important part of the NSMA community, providing products, services, and expertise that support the seasoning industry. Over the past decade, Associate Membership has grown significantly, increasing from 2 members in 2014–2015 to 16 members today. This growth reflects the importance of creating opportunities for Associate Members to connect with Voting Members and participate more fully in Association activities.
2025-2026 Membership Composition
30%
VOTING
70%
ASSOCIATE
Initiatives such as the Products & Services Spotlight Tabletops at the Annual Social Gathering provide additional visibility and networking opportunities for Associate Members while strengthening connections throughout the NSMA community. Looking Ahead As we look toward the coming year, NSMA will continue focusing on member engagement, retention, and strategic growth opportunities. We will continue exploring ways to increase awareness of the Association, strengthen connections within the seasoning industry, and provide valuable resources for both Voting and Associate Members. Membership growth is strengthened through the involvement and support of our entire community. We encourage members to continue sharing the value of NSMA with colleagues and industry contacts who may benefit from participation. Thank you to all our members for your continued support, engagement, and commitment to NSMA. Together, we continue to build a strong and well-seasoned community.
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NSMA Member Companies As of June 30, 2026 *Indicates Associate Member A.C. Legg, Inc. Adams Flavors, Foods & Ingredients Advanced Spice & Trading, Inc./Valdez Spice Artiste Flavor / Essence Inc. * Badia Spices, Inc. BCFoods Blue Line Foods Bluegrass Ingredients * Carolina Ingredients LLC * Certified Laboratories, Inc.* Chesapeake Spice Co. LLC Deep South Blenders Deibel Laboratories* Deli-Food Chili & Spice* Elite Spice, Inc. Everson Spice Company, Inc. First Spice Mixing Co. Inc. Fuji Foods Givaudan Griffith Foods, Inc. Harris Spice Hawkins Inc. Herbospice SL Illes Seasonings & Flavors International Spices iSpice Foods
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Jascole/Haospice * Kalsec Inc. * Kutas North America * Louisiana Fish Fry Products, Ltd. * Macco Organiques, Inc. Magic Seasoning Blends, LLC MANE McCarthy Spice & Blends McCormick & Co. Inc. MG Spices Newly Weds Foods, LLC Nu Products Seasoning Co. OWS Foods Omya Inc. * Pacific Farms * Pacific Spice Co. Inc. R.L. Schreiber, Inc. Rio Valley Chili Rocky Mountain Spice Company Sabater USA Savor Seasonings Inc. Sensient Natural Ingredients * Silgan Specialty * Solina Topchance Foods Inc. * Wixon Inc. World Flavors Inc. *
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Board of Directors Slate Geraldina A. Cristantiello, Marketing & Member Services This past year NSMA had four (4) Director positions and one (1) Associate Member Director with terms expiring. With this in mind, the NSMA administrative office was asked to send out an email to the membership asking for nominations. We received some interest from both Voting and Associate members. The Nominating Committee (comprised of Liz Morris, Tim Sonntag, and Christopher Stevenson) reviewed the nominations and selected its candidates. The Nominating Committee is pleased to present the following Slate of Nominees for the Board of Directors for approval by the membership at the 2026 Annual Meeting. Directors each serving a three-year term, ending in 2029: • • • • •
Wendy Epstein, First Spice Mixing Jill Faulkner, Solina Elizabeth Landry, Carolina Ingredients Sara Sarnstrom, Wixon Christopher Stevenson, McCormick & Co., Inc.
Associate Member Director to serve a two-year term ending in 2028: •
Eric Goan, Bluegrass Ingredients
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Building the Future of NSMA Robert C. Post, PhD., Executive Director Geraldina A. Cristantiello, Marketing & Member Services We trust that this Annual Report, covering the period from 2025 to 2026, has provided members with a comprehensive account of the Association’s activities for the past year, our 53 rd. As we move into 2027, we will continue our efforts to deliver more valuable resources for members, while also undertaking some new initiatives. Here’s what our plan will include:
As we continue to grow this organization, we rely on you, our members, to guide us in representing your interests in the blended seasoning industry by advocating for balanced and effective regulations and policies. We appreciate your membership and thank you for your trust in us.
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