The workshop, ‘The Challenge of Innovating in the current Regulatory & Economic Environment’, saw speakers discuss the European Union nutrition and health claims regulation.
“This workshop saw an excellent turn out from across the industry, from SMEs to global organisations,” said HFMA executive director, Graham Keen.
“Our industry is under considerable threat right now and innovation will be the driving force behind sustaining these companies and the wider sector against the ever-changing regulatory backdrop.”
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Dr Michele Sadler and Michael Evans, scientific and technical advisors to the HFMA, said companies needed to understand the time demands of the regulatory process and how it affected research and development projects.
Naturex’s Maxime Angelucci put the regulation in perspective for the botanicals leader, noting the company adapted quickly to meet new regulatory demands.
Emma Ellis of UK firm, Biocare, noted the role of science in educating consumers and Nigel Baldwin from consultancy, Cantox Health Sciences International, described how apparent regulatory road blocks could be overcome, as had been demonstrated with omega-3.
MPL Marketing Services’ Martin Last showed how creative marketing can make innovation possible, even when claims are not officially mandated.
Keen added: “In the current environment is was a pleasure to hold an event that wasn’t looking negatively at what we can’t do, but rather much more positively at what we can do going forward.”
Baldwin will share some of his insights at the solutions-focused NutraIngredients Health Claims 2010 conference to be held in Brussels on 10th December. In addition, ERNA and the likes of Danone and Unilever will discuss the regulation. For more information and to register, please click here .