A complete deconstruction of those opinions ranging from pomegranate to probiotics to omega-3 is an obvious focus of the day – from the science behind them to the marketing that may result from them. But things don’t end there.
With events proliferating we have leveraged our day-in-day-out knowledge of the regulation and been highly selective about this year’s broadened programme to ensure it delivers high-impact, business-building insights.
So aside from a full dissection of Batch Three, marketing gurus Henry Dixon (commercial director/founder at UK PR firm Barrett Dixon Bell) and Peter Wennstrom (president, Healthy Marketing Team) will be on hand to pick through the opinions and discuss their potential use in the all-important commercial light of day.
Cédric Bourges, the founder and managing director of French claims consultancy Nutraveris, will mine the list itself for winners and losers and the scientific reasoning that led to a 90 per cent failure rate.
With the botanicals situation more ambiguous than ever following the EC’s decision to temporarily remove them from the process, Penny Viner, vice president at the UK Health Food Manufacturer’s Association (HFMA) will ponder the herbal industry’s options now and beyond.
Americans take the health claims regulation to task
Last year’s conference closed with Jonathan Emord – the US attorney who has successfully sued the FDA seven times over its own health claims system – explaining why the EU system breeches commercial free speech rights and why it should be challenged in European or international courts.
His provocative stance and entertaining delivery was by far the day’s most popular presentation and so – fresh off the back of yet another health claims court victory over the FDA in the summer – we’ve invited him back to deliver fresh perspectives on “EFSA censorship”.
Broadening the American view this year, his compatriot, Andrew Shao, PhD, senior vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, at the Washington DC-based Council for Responsible Nutrition, will scrutinise EFSA’s methods and compare them to the FDA’s, particularly in the area of biomarkers and their role in claims substantiation.
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Dr Shao has been at the coal face of the US claims system and sits in on many FDA meetings where claims matters are discussed. This theme of communication will be picked up by Anne Heughan from Unilever who will explore communication channels between industry, EFSA and other EU organs.
Marta Baffigo, the director global public and regulatory affairs at the Kellogg Company, will reveal how those positive opinions that have come through – particularly in regard to vitamins and minerals – are putting new bullets in the cereal giant's marketing magazine.
Similarly, Rodney Gray from Martek Biosciences, will reveal how the world’s leading DHA supplier will treat the positive omega-3 positive opinions that have come through so far.
For more information about NI Health Claims 2010 here.