EAS Consulting Group focuses on regulatory consulting for industries that are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while FoodMinds consults with food firms on nutrition and communications, both business-to-business and business-to-consumer.
Combining the expertise of the two will give customers in the food, beverage, and dietary supplements industry broader support, Ed Steele, CEO of EAS, told NutraIngredients-USA.
“We can help companies develop a product, and know what the regulatory hurdles are, and FoodMinds will enable us to now communicate whatever we help come up with to the industry and the consumers,” he added. “It extends the reach of how we can communicate a message.”
In a press release, the two companies said that the collaborative effort by EAS and FoodMinds will help ensure: Identification and mitigation of risks to branding and regulatory compliance; Properly structured, vetted and compliant partnerships with co-manufacturers and suppliers, amidst the current preventive mindset of FDA, state and customer requirements; Crisis preparedness to maintain brand value and integrity; and Forward thinking strategic plans and operating procedures, engaging the most up-to-date industry guidance, practices and technology to meet stakeholder expectations.
Specialists from the two firms combined have expertise in food and nutrition sciences; toxicology; microbiology; FDA, USDA, EPA, FTC and state food laws, regulations and enforcement practices; food labeling and claims requirements; product branding; public relations and market research; consumer behavior; crisis communications; and technical and scientific writing.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to work closely with EAS. It’s a complex environment out there, we think by joining together we can better help our prospective clients,” said Kathryn Harrington, senior vice president of FoodMinds.