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The Woodlands, TX
February 17-19, 2025

Exhibit space is selling fast. Reserve today!

Register online or via the exhibit space reservation form.

Register now to increase your opportunity of being assigned a preferred booth location through the CDA priority point system. The CDA priority point system expires July 31. Exhibit space is assigned on a first-come first-served basis after July 31.

At Marketplace, the focus is to bring together distributors with their top trading partners and suppliers over a three-day period, featuring a one-day turnkey trade show, focused education sessions, and enhanced networking opportunities.

About Marketplace | Exhibitor Prospectus | Trade Show Floor Plan

Attendee registration opens late summer.

By attending Marketplace 2025, you agree to the CDA Notices & Disclaimers.

The Biden-Harris administration on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, announced a final rule that expands overtime pay by increasing the salary thresholds required to exempt a salaried bona fide executive, administrative or professional employee from federal overtime pay requirements. The official Department of Labor (DOL) Federal Register notice is set to be published on April 26, 2024. You can read the comments CDA submitted in fall of 2023 opposing the proposed rule here.

Click here for more information.

On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the issuance of complaints for civil money penalties (CMPs) against 20 brick and mortar retailers and two online retailers for the sale of unauthorized e-cigarettes, including Elf Bar, a popular youth-appealing brand. FDA previously issued warning letters to these retailers for their sale of unauthorized tobacco products, however, follow-up inspections revealed that the retailers had failed to correct the violations. Accordingly, the agency is now seeking a CMP of approximately $20,000 from each retailer. Read more here.

On May 1, 2024, at 10:15 a.m., the House Committee on Education and the Workforce will hold a hearing titled, Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Labor. Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) said in the press announcement, “Under Su, DOL is imposing punitive costs and regulatory burdens on job creators, especially small businesses, and limiting opportunities for American workers. This Committee has serious concerns about Su’s failed leadership and the devastating impacts of her overbearing agenda.”

On April 18, 2024, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Califf testified before the House Appropriations, Agriculture/FDA Subcommittee hearing on the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget request. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Becerra testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee Labor-HHS Subcommittee on Tuesday and the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health on Wednesday. Similar to prior hearings with the FDA Commissioner, Members raised a variety of issues ranging from the feasibility of its Food Safety Modernization Act traceability rule to how the Administration plans to ensure a safe food and drug supply and address illicit markets.

On April 23, 2024, Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-06) introduced a bill that would prohibit tianeptine, commonly known as “gas station heroin,” from being marketed to consumers. Tianeptine is an unapproved drug that is marketed as a purported dietary supplement and sold under labels such as “Neptune’s Fix.” Ingestion of the drug has led to an increase in calls to poison control centers and severe adverse effects requiring visits to emergency rooms nationwide. The Prohibiting Tianeptine and Other Dangerous Products Act - H.R. 8123 - would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to prohibit the marketing of products, such as tianeptine, as dietary supplements. Pallone is the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over health policy, including FDA issues. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) will introduce the companion legislation in the Senate.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to ban anyone aged 15 and under from ever buying cigarettes passed its first parliamentary vote on Tuesday, although dozens of his own lawmakers voted against it.

Sunak's plan to impose some of the world's strictest anti-smoking rules has angered some members of his governing Conservative Party, including former prime ministers Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, who say the state should not interfere in how people live their lives.

The bill passed a vote in Britain's parliament with 383 in favour and 67 against, meaning it will progress to the next stage in parliament, where it can be subject to amendment. Read more here.

On April 24, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hosted a virtual public meeting on Data and Technology in the New Era of Smarter Food Safety. The meeting was designed to help the agency improve its understanding of how businesses and consumers can leverage data and technology to exponentially advance food safety and achieve better health outcomes. The New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint outlines achievable goals to enhance traceability, improve predictive analytics, respond more rapidly to outbreaks, address new business models, reduce contamination of food and foster the development of stronger food safety cultures. Part of the meeting was dedicated to how tech can help businesses comply with FDA’s Traceability Rule.

As a reminder, the Food Traceability Rule mandates that businesses involved in manufacturing, processing, packing or holding foods on the Food Traceability List (FTL) maintain records with key data elements (KDEs) for specific supply chain activities, which the FDA has defined as critical tracking events (CTEs). This information must be captured, stored and maintained for 24 months, and event data must made available to the FDA within 24 hours upon request. Additionally, shipping events must be shared with supply chain partners. The FSMA 204 Final Rule took effect in January 2023, and companies have been granted a three-year compliance period. The compliance date is Jan. 20, 2026, for all companies covered by the rule. Read more here.

Each year, the CDA Distributors Education Foundation Ray Foley Memorial Scholarship Program awards four $5,000 scholarships to applicants from distributor member companies or immediate family members (spouse or child) of an employee from a CDA Distributor member company. Click here to learn more details and eligibility requirements.

The scholarship program is accepting applications for the 2024-2025 academic year. All applications and recommendations must be received by Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Submit your application now!

The Hershey Company and CDA continue to deliver a top-tier comprehensive benchmarking report that remains a crucial key to understanding the convenience distribution financial and operating metrics.

Why complete the HIPA Survey?

1. Gain Insight: You will receive detailed reporting of where your company stands now; including a line-by-line analysis of both your income statement results and balance sheet.
2. Actionable Intelligence: CDA is committed to ensuring participating members derive actionable information from this report – we want this to help you drive business decisions.
3. Industry-Wide Perspective: You will receive an industry-wide summary report profiling the financial performance of distributors.
4. Member Benefit: Thanks to the support of The Hershey Company, the detailed benchmarking information in the HIPA Report is free of charge for CDA distributor members who participate.

Learn more and hear what members think about the report by clicking here.

To participate, download the HIPA survey here to complete and return to Benchmarking Analytics. Please note the deadline to complete the survey is Tuesday, April 30, 2024.

Contact Angie Simonetti at angies@cdaweb.net or (703) 208-1648 with any questions.

CDA is delighted to introduce its inaugural CDL Scholarship Program, “The Drive to Thrive: CDL Scholarship Program,” that provides distributor member company employees with an opportunity to grow their careers to become commercial truck drivers. The scholarship program provides ten recipients with up to $5,000 towards training at a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) certified CDL training center.

Scholarship Details:

• CDA Distributor Member Companies can nominate up to two employees – assign one point of contact within the organization to complete nominations.
• Ten scholarships of up to $5,000 may be awarded.
• Scholarships will be paid directly to an FMCSA certified third-party training center or internal training program.
• The last day to complete both Step 1 and Step 2 of the application process (nominator and nominee) is May 24, 2024.
• Download the flyer here to share within your organization.

To learn more about the program, including eligibility and criteria, visit: https://www.cdaweb.net/CDL.

For questions, please contact Angie Simonetti at angies@cdaweb.net.

Each year, the CDA Distributors Education Foundation awards four $5,000 scholarships to applicants from distributor member companies or immediate family members (spouse or child) of an employee from a CDA Distributor member company.

The CDA Distributors Education Foundation Ray Foley Memorial Scholarship was created in memory of the late National Candy Wholesalers Association executive vice president, Ray Foley, and the impact he had on the convenience distribution industry.

Using an anonymous judging process, scholarship winners are chosen on academic achievements, extracurricular activities, two recommendations and a personal essay. Click here to learn more details and eligibility requirements.

The scholarship program is accepting applications for the 2024-2025 academic year!

Share Details with Your Team:

• Forward this email.
• Print and share this flyer with your team.
• Announcement at company meetings.
• Post on company intranet and/or in company breakrooms.

All applications must be received by Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Submit your application now!

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials discussed the marijuana rescheduling process publicly for the first time during a recent episode of the agency’s “Prevention Profiles: Take Five” series. DEA Senior Prevention Program Manager Rich Lucey spoke with DEA pharmacologist Buki Ebeigbe about the scheduling process, specifically how it relates to the ongoing cannabis review. They said, “HHS has done their part, and now DEA is doing its part,” which “can take anywhere from like three to six months sometimes.” Read more here.

3 Reasons Why Distributor Members Need to Attend:

1. Engage in up to 30 TOP-TO-TOP meetings with key trading partners in just 2 1/2 days
2. Abundant networking opportunities during meals and receptions
3. It’s the must-attend event of the year

Distributor members: view the brochure and register online or via the registration form.

Supplier/manufacturer members: CDBX is invitation only and participation in Convenience Distribution Marketplace is required.

About CDBX | Schedule | Hotel & Travel

Please reach out to Jenn Finn at jennf@cdaweb.net with any questions.

By attending CDBX, you agree to the CDA Notices & Disclaimers and Attendee Terms & Conditions.

On April 2, 2024, three tobacco control groups filed a lawsuit requesting a federal district court to issue an order directing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to promulgate (i.e., finalize) the agency’s proposed regulation banning the use of menthol in cigarettes and publish the final regulation in the Federal Register, all “within a reasonable timeframe.” The three groups that filed the lawsuit include the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, the Action on Smoking and Health, and the National Medical Association. This lawsuit names the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the FDA, and the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) as defendants.

As background, these same tobacco control groups, plus the American Medical Association, filed a lawsuit in June of 2020 against the HHS, FDA and CTP to compel the FDA to: (1) make a formal determination about whether menthol should be added to the list of banned characterizing flavors in cigarettes, and (2) respond to the plaintiffs’ Citizen Petition, which requested the FDA to promulgate a final rule banning menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes. This first lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed by the plaintiffs on June 1, 2022, after the FDA published a formal proposed regulation banning the use of menthol in cigarettes.

However, the plaintiff’s state that the reason this second suit has been filed is due to the FDA’s continued delay in the finalization and publication of the menthol cigarette ban regulation.

Under federal law, an agency must follow a nine-step process when proposing and finalizing a new federal regulation. The chart shown here lists these nine steps. The FDA’s proposed regulation banning the use of menthol in cigarettes is currently in Step 8, which requires the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to review and either approve, modify, or not approve the proposed regulation. Step 9 involves the publication of a final regulation in the Federal Register.

Last fall, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs within the OMB included in the federal government’s “Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions” a statement that the FDA’s proposed ban on the use of menthol in cigarettes should be finalized by March of 2024. Since this deadline has now passed without final action on the proposed menthol ban regulation by the OMB, the plaintiffs have filed this second lawsuit to compel the finalization and publication of the menthol regulation.

A copy of the new lawsuit complaint filed by the plaintiffs against the HHS, FDA and CTP can be found here.

While Congress is currently out of session for a two-week recess, the chances of the House-passed tax extenders bill advancing in the Senate are not improving. Just before the break, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) added the legislation to the calendar under Rule 14, which allows the Senate to bypass committee approval. Nevertheless, Republican leaders are vowing to stop the effort in its tracks, even privately encouraging members to filibuster the bill if Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) brings it to the floor. Some Republicans believe they’ll have a better shot at addressing tax policy next year when the Trump tax cuts expire, and they could have the Senate majority. Others have suggested quite openly that it wouldn’t make sense to give Biden a win this close to the election.

Schumer is unlikely to hold a vote on the bill unless he believes he can get the requisite 60 votes to advance the legislation. The bill, which was the result of a negotiation between Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), includes R&D immediate expensing, full bonus depreciation and interest expense deductions, paired with an enhanced Child Tax Credit. It also includes provisions on affordable housing and assistance for disaster impacted communities. As a pay-for, the legislation sets a Jan. 31, 2024, cutoff date for new ERTC claims and increases enforcement on ERTC promoters. Read more here.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is releasing several scientific review policy memoranda that provide a snapshot of FDA’s internal thinking on certain topics within the premarket tobacco review process. This action is consistent with commitments made by the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) to post scientific policy memos and reviewer guides, as appropriate, in response to the 2022 Reagan-Udall Foundation’s operational evaluation of the center. Read more here.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a searchable database for certain tobacco products that may be legally marketed in the United States. According to the FDA, the database is designed to provide key information in a single location, with easy-to-use search capabilities. The database, which can be accessed at www.fda.gov/searchtobacco, will be updated by the FDA on a monthly basis.

The database contains information on three categories of tobacco products including:

1. Products which have received a Marketing Granted Order from the FDA authorizing the products to be lawfully sold in the United States (including authorized electronic cigarette products).

2. Pre-existing grandfathered tobacco products that were on the market as of February 15, 2007, which can remain on the market without any authorization from the FDA.

3. Provisional tobacco products which were the subject of a Substantial Equivalency Report filed by a manufacturer with the FDA by March 22, 2011 (products which are virtually identical to a product that was already on the market as of February 15, 2007). These provisional tobacco products can remain on the market unless the FDA issues an order removing the Substantial Equivalency designation.

On the searchable database webpages, the FDA also states that the database does not include information on products which are the subject of a pending Pre-Market Tobacco Application (PMTA). Rather, if a product for which a PMTA is pending receives a Marketing Granted Order from the FDA authorizing the sale of the product, then that product will be added to the database.