Live from Vitafoods Europe 2013

Cranberry veteran gathers forces against EU medical device products

13-May-2013 - Last updated on 28-Sep-2021 at 09:52 GMT

With cranberry health claims rejected in the European Union, some players have ventured down the medical devices route where therapeutic claims are possible that would never succeed under the EU’s strict health claim rules. Not a good thing, says Gunter Haesaerts, president of French cranberry specialist, Pharmatoka.

Haesaerts said most of the cranberry industry opposed the medical devices development for treatment of women’s issues like urinary tract infection (UTI) and vaginal problems, and that actions were being taken to rectify the situation.

“What is really required solid clinical evidence published in journals, peer-reviewed and last week we interviewed the leading American cranberry scientist and there was a strong denial that there was any such valid clinical evidence so we are confronted here with an issue that is really pre-occupying,” he said.

Heasaerts called the medical devices activity “unethical” and said various parties including an EU expert committee were scrutinising the way the regulation was being implemented.

“Legally it is alright… but ethically it is a deviation and it is something that should not stand and it will not stand because in this case the cranberry industry from the United States has to, and will react…”