Dispatches from Vitafoods Europe 2014

EU supplements sector presses on for EU botanical acceptance

18-May-2014 - Last updated on 28-Sep-2021 at 11:22 GMT

Related tags Eu member states European union Eu

It has been a tumultuous few years for the European food supplements sector as it has had to learn to live under the world’s toughest health claims regime. Marketing strictures may be tighter than ever but the sector is in a good place, says the chairof the European Health Product manufacturers’ Association (EHPM).

Alban Maggiar sat down with us Vitafoods to discuss the impact of the EU nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR) on the sector – with botanicals a particular concern

With more than 1500 botanical health claim submissions on hold as the European Commission (EC) and 28 EU member states attempt to establish appropriate scientific to back their safety and efficacy, the EHPM chair said it was in all parties interests to back tradition of use data [known as option 2].

[Option 1 being to continue to with human trial-biased criteria which would mean near 100% rejection for EU botanicals as that kind of data does not exist for most of them.]

“I understand [the EC] would not disagree with option 2,” Maggiar said, noting the work and EU submissions made by his and other trade groups to win tradition of use backing for botanicals across the EU.

“I think it is the interests of everyone – of the authorities, of the industry, and mostly of the consumers. And the consumers would go on having free access and free choice of botanicals that are part of their tradition, of their wellbeing.”