Top officials meet in Moscow for international food supplement symposium
15 July 2009
Two hundred participants from across the globe, including regulatory officials and scientific experts, met at an international symposium in Russia last month to discuss the evolving regulatory frameworks of the food supplement market.
The Moscow symposium, titled ‘Optimal Nutrition: role of biologically active components of food’ saw high profile speakers in attendance from industry and government including Dr G.G. Onishenko, Head of Russia’s Federal Office of Surveillance of Consumer Right Protection and Wellbeing; Basil Mathioudakis, Head of the European Commission’s Unit on Food Law, Nutrition and Labelling; Jinjing Zhang, Deputy Director General, Department of Food Safety Coordination, State Food and Drug Administration, P.R. China; Byron Johnson, Chairman of the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA); and Dr Tatiana Pilat, Chair of the Council of Dietary Supplement and Healthy Food Producers of Russia (CDSP).
At the event participants discussed global trends and regulatory frameworks and challenges for food supplements and health foods in Russia and other regions including the European Union (EU), China and the United States; methods and approaches to quality control; harmonisation of approaches in food supplement regulation and risk assessment worldwide; the role of clinical studies in risk assessment; and the substantiation of claims for food supplements.
“The level of exchange of ideas and information on policy and regulation in the area of food supplements was remarkable”, said Dr Tatiana Pilat of CDSP. “There was broad agreement across all the participating groups and associations that food supplements play an important role in nutrition policies to achieve optimal nutrition.”
The symposium was organised jointly by the Federal Office of Surveillance of Consumer Right Protection and Wellbeing, Russian Ministry of Health; the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences; the Russian Institute of Nutrition; CDSP; the Russia National Association of Dieticians and Nutritionists; the Moscow Medical Academy and IADSA.
“The partnership and cooperation that has been developed in Moscow in both the scientific and regulatory areas between the food supplement sector and authorities will be enormously beneficial worldwide”, said Ric Hobby of IADSA. “Russia has unique and extensive scientific expertise in this area and we look forward to working together with the authorities to communicate this internationally.”
Back
Support for your business
New EAS report!
